The First Sin
by Vehyn Fyre
Summary: Warmth blossomed over Lucy's hand and a faint echo of metal bouncing across marble reached her ears. She didn't feel the panic she expected when she saw the blade disappear into Ava's stomach, but she knew the guilt wouldn't come either. LaLu - Arc: Greed
1. Drowning

**The First Sin**

 **Summary** : "It's what you want my dear Dragon." She paused as she sat down, only letting his hand go once he stood in front of her, "I can give it to you. Everything you ever wished for." She rested her hand on his bare stomach, his mind barely registering that his shirt was gone as she licked her lips, "And so, so much more." – Sent during the Guilds disbandment. LaLu and other couples.

 **Authors note:** Hey everyone! First LaLu fic. I can't get the ship out of my head (I thoroughly ship NaLu!) so I thought I'd write it before I went crazy. There are OC's in my fic only to act as the instigators of the missions etc. Please let me know what you think!

 **Disclaimer:** I in no way own Fairy Tail! I do however own my own characters.

 **Chapter 1:** Drowning

There were only so many times someone could drink themselves into a stupor before their luck ran out. And he could feel it, somewhere underneath all the feelings of self-loathing and defeat, that this was where his luck dried up. Just like the alcohol that had vanished from the bottle in his hand.

Rain beat down on him, the storm above calling to his magic. But he was too tired to answer it. Too tired to care about how cold he was or how much his side ached or how his stomach rebelled to the sheer volume of drink he had taken in throughout the night.

He didn't even care that the mission was a failure.

Footsteps sounded through the alleyway, but he didn't bother to lift his head, allowing himself to press further into the chilled ground to try give whoever was walking room to walk by his large form.

A faint gasp reached his ears, and despite his dragon enhanced sight, the figure remained blurry. Only the distant light glinting off golden hair registered in his hazy brain.

"Laxus?" He felt like he was swimming. He swallowed loudly before correcting his thought. He wasn't swimming. He was drowning.

He didn't even register the fact that the rain no longer touched his skin before he passed out.

Elsewhere…

"See you later Lucy. Thanks for staying back."

"No worries." Lucy waved as she closed the door, frowning at the rain that hammered down on the capital. Now she knew why Virgo had demanded she bring her umbrella with her in the morning, "Well what a great way to start the weekend. Stay back late at work, start the weekend with rain."

She squeaked as a large thunderclap echoed overhead, but it didn't sound right. Too close. Too familiar, "I'm just thinking into it... I must be."

She turned and started in the direction of her home, but something pulled at her, told her to turn around. Her feet led her through the streets, ignoring the way the rain soaked her from the waist down.

The storm above was harsh and she tightened her jacket, trying her best to fight off the chill that seeped in. She hummed to herself as she walked, ignoring the way the streets emptied the further from home she went. It was only the sudden static in the air that made her pause and she turned, facing a dark alley. Despite the fear that gnawed at her, she took cautious steps, not trusting her assumptions completely.

The smell of damp rot assaulted her and she covered her nose, squinting into the shadows. And what she saw took her breath away.

Pressed against the slimy wall of the alley, his purple button down and dress pants soaked through with rain, was the grandson of Fairy Tails' Master.

Before her was a man she never thought she would see in the state he was in...

"Laxus?"


	2. Stronger

**The First Sin**

 **Summary** : "It's what you want my dear Dragon." She paused as she sat down, only letting his hand go once he stood in front of her, "I can give it to you. Everything you ever wished for." She rested her hand on his bare stomach, his mind barely registering that his shirt was gone as she licked her lips, "And so, so much more." – Sent during the Guilds disbandment. LaLu and other couples.

 **Authors note:** So happy people liked this fic. And to think I nearly didn't post it! Thank you everyone. I hope you enjoy this chapter of The First Sin. Please note, there is swearing in this chapter.

 **Disclaimer:** I in no way own Fairy Tail! I do however own my own characters.

 **Arc:** Lust

 **Chapter 2:** Stronger

Laxus came to with a headache. One that messed with his senses completely. His body felt warm, cocooned in a heat that he knew he shouldn't feel. He knew he should have been soaked, smelling of mold and sick with having been in an alley during the storm the night before. But for some reason, the aches and pains that should have accompanied a rough night didn't occur. Which meant someone had taken him in.

He opened his eyes, glad that it wasn't as bright in the room as he guessed it would be. The curtain to his side was tightly closed, the heavy pink drapes blocking out the morning light. When he looked to his other side, he confirmed that yes, he was in someone's room and two, it was sparsely furnished.

But what drew his attention the most was the warmth that seemed to enclose his hand. He rose onto his free elbow, not wanting to disturb the heat before he found the source, and felt the blood rush in his ears when he took in the sight before him.

Lucy, Fairy Tails' light, was leaning against the bed, one arm curled under her head while her other arm was stretched out towards him, her slim fingers wrapped delicately around his own. He swallowed heavily, taking in the way her features had matured since the guild disbanded. Her hair was far longer than he recalled it being, and her face had lost what little fat had clung to her from her teens and she had grown into a lean young woman.

He then remembered demanding her in exchange for saving the guild from Phantom and he wanted to punch himself in the ace.

He gingerly pulled his hand from hers, taking great care in sitting up to look around. The whole room was dark, but his enhanced sight and with the little light that seeped through the edge of the curtain let him examine the room.

Her apartment was small, with a small bathroom off to the side and her bed on the other. He could see her kitchen from where he sat and a small sitting area with a couch and a writing desk across from him. In all, the studio was small, incredibly so for him considering his size. He wondered how she had even managed to find him, staring at the small blonde in wonder.

He tried to think back to the night before, muttering under his breath as he looked down. He jolted when he noticed the stained white bandages around his torso, the wound he knew he should have tended to sooner already taken care of for him.

"I didn't want your infection to get any worse." He looked up, staring at the blonde as she sat back, rubbing her eyes. Deep black circles made her look sickly and her brown eyes overly large from fatigue., but it was her strained smile that caught his attention the most.

"Lucy... you-" He paused, not sure of what to say.

"So… you do know how to use my name." Lucy laughed softly, stretching as she stood, "And it's no problem. It's the least I could do. Besides, I couldn't just leave you out in the rain."

She shuffled about, her back to him as she worked in the kitchen. The sound of running water echoed in his ears before she turned back to him, a glass of water in hand and her other hand closed. He could smell the medicine before she passed it to him, nodding his head in thanks as he accepted the glass.

He watched her as she moved through her home, gathering some clothes before disappearing into the bathroom, only to come out a few moments later in jeans and a singlet. She brushed her hair as she moved about, pulling her chair from her desk so that she could sit by the bed.

"Why?" Lucy blinked at him, lowering her brush as she processed his question.

"Why what?" She took back the now empty glass of water and placed it on her bedside table, next to her keys. She felt them warm as she brushed her hand along them.

"Why... this? Why help me? Why not leave me there? And how did you even get me here? Just... why bother? I haven't been... the nicest to you by any means." He looked away, biting the inside of his cheek as he waited. Part of him wished that she would recall how horrible he had been, not just to her, but the the rest of their nakama.

Lucy froze. She wasn't sure why she had cared for him so much. But in her heart, she knew why, and throwing caution to the wind, she told him the truth, "Because, at some point, yes, you hurt me, and the guild, but you were still my nakama. You were still part of our family, and you pulled through when it mattered most. I mean, if I could forgive Gajeel, I could most certainly forgive you."

She sent him a dazzling smile, but he was taken aback by the haunted look in her eyes, "But... how did you even get me here? You don't look all that strong to me Blondie." His words were met with a dark look and he swallowed, wincing internally as his forever arrogant personality turned its ugly head, "Look, I didn't mean that. I just..."

Lucy sighed, turning away from him, "I haven't been idle, you know. Just like I wasn't when I was at the guild, despite what people believed. My training paid off and I acquired something called Stardress. It lets me harness the powers of my spirits. I used Taurus' power to get you here. And then I had my spirit Gemini transform into Wendy and tried healing you. It wasn't a powerful copy, but we managed to get rid of the infection and bandage you up." She stood, refusing to look at him, "My spirit Virgo brought you some spare clothes. They're in the bathroom with some essentials for you as well. Feel free to take a shower."

Laxus could only nod numbly as he pulled the sheets away from his body, shivering from the cold as he made his way into the room Lucy had gone into earlier.

The bathroom was small, with only a bath, sink and toilet. In one corner was a small hamper and neatly folded on top of it was a pile with his name written neatly on a piece of paper on top. He wondered for a moment how he could have been so foolish to someone so kind. Everyone in the guild had loved her, and even the Thunder Legion had grown attached to her while he was in exile. But he had barely even done the decency to greet her as she always greeted him.

A growl built in his throat as he turned away, turning the water on before stripping, ripping the bandages from his torso and he inspected the wound. It had indeed healed far more than he expected, the once ragged edges of the cut now smooth and much closer to being fully healed than it had been the night before.

Thinking of the previous evening he stepped into the water, letting it wash away the grime and dirt and defeat that seemed to cling to him like a leech.

The water soothed him and if he listened, he could hear Lucy gently humming in the next room. The woman was an enigma, one that puzzled him to the point of him actually wanting to figure her out. She forgave without a doubt, she helped despite the repercussions and she took blame for incidents that she had no part in - he knew because of all the reports he had helped his Grandfather sort through. And yet here she was, not only carrying him home in the rain, he tried not to think his pride or reputation were damaged, tended to him and gave him her bed, likely having cared for him through the majority of the night. But even he could see something was cloudy her mind, drawing her into herself. She hadn't lashed out at all, despite having every reason to. And there was a sadness that tainted her smell. A smell he distinctly remembered to have been of strawberries with an undercurrent of ink.

He sat in the water, pondering the woman in the other room when the smell of bacon filled the air. His stomach grumbled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten for a number of hours.

He grabbed that towel that had been piled on top of his new clothes and he dried off quickly, shoving his legs through the dress pants and his arms through the button up shirt. The simple black and white outfit was a perfect fit and he assumed it had something to do with the fact Lucy had asked her spirit for them. With a quick glance in the mirror, deciding to leave the shirt unbuttoned in case he needed to rebandage his wound.

He opened the door quietly, trying to be respectful to his unlikely saviour. She sat at a small dining table, staring off at the wall that had been opposite him when he awoke. Then, it had been too dark to make out the details, but now that she had opened the blinds, the items pinned up took his breath away. He walked up to the wall, ignoring the blonde woman who watched him, her muscles tense as his fingers ran along the ribbon and string and all the pictures scattered across the entire surface of her living space. His eyes took in the members of Fairy Tail. Bisca and Alzack together in an article from Sorcerers Weekly. Wendy and Carla in a picture after joining Lamia Scale. Mira and Lisanna in a bar. And what made his heart stop was a picture of himself and the Thunder Legion in Blue Pegasus. They all seemed so happy in the image.

"I tried to keep track of everyone you know," He turned to face Lucy but her head was down, playing with her breakfast rather than eating it, "In case Master came back and reformed the guild."

Laxus blinked, taking a second look at the pictures before he took a seat.

"Everyone seems to have moved on so easily. Within a week everyone left Magnolia. I didn't know what to do. And I didn't do anything for a long time afterwards too. But then, I needed money and work made that happen. So, I thought, if I can't wait at home, then I would find everyone for the time that we could all go home together." She sighed, dropping her fork in favour of sitting on her hands, trying to hide how they shook, "Dumb, I know-"

"It's not dumb." Laxus didn't speak before he cut her off, staring into her eyes as he continued, "It's not dumb so don't say shit like that. It means you care. You care enough about your nakama to let them be happy for the time being. If that's dumb then everyone that left is to blame or something." He fought down the heat the built in his chest, taking his fork and shovelling food into his mouth, effectively cutting off any other words that tried to escape his mouth.

"That's very nice of you to say Laxus." Lucy smiled, taking hold of her fork once more.

"Yeah well, I gave you a lot of crap in the past, and after last night, the least I can do is try to make it up to you." He huffed, glaring at his plate when he realised his food was already half gone. Noticing his dilemma, Lucy giggle, drawing his attention to her, his cheeks puffed out as he chewed.

"Don't worry. I know what Dragon Slayers are like. I have extra if you want it." He could only look at her and nod, handing his plate to her as a silent request, "I figured. When... when Team Natsu were together, they always crashed at mine and ate me out of house and home. Didn't help that they were the reason I was almost always late on my rent." A dry laugh left her as she handed the plate back to him, a tower of bacon and eggs waiting for him to devour.

"I always heard the rest of the guild saying you were always short. Looking back, the damage reports from your team were ridiculous." He chuckled as she flushed.

"Yeah. It could be a pain. I was always short on money for things." Lucy cleared her throat, collecting her plate and placing it in the sink, "So, uh. Why were you out last night? I mean, you weren't in the best state and-" She stopped short, her muscles tensing as she heard his growl and the clang of metal on porcelain, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry. You don't-"

"I failed." His voice was grave as he stood, turning to face her with so much self-loathing in his eyes that Lucy blanched.

"How..." Lucy paused, swallowing heavily before correcting herself, "What do you mean you failed?" She waited for him to answer, her natural curiosity getting the better of her, despite knowing her actions were akin to poking a lion in a cage.

Laxus growled, glaring hard at the space above her head, "We went on a mission. It should have been easy. But I was careless. And my underestimation of the mission got my team hurt. Got me hurt. Not long after we reported the failure, Master Bob let them on a mission, but forced me to stay behind. He couldn't risk me being a hindrance and put them at risk in my _state._ " He spat the words like poison, his hate from that fateful night bubbling back to the surface.

Every muscle in his body tightened when he felt her, the woman so small she barely reached his collar bone. Her slim arms wrapped around his torso, her head resting over his heart as she sighed.

"I know the feeling. Of being the reason the people you care about get hurt. I've felt it on multiple occasions. And sometimes it gets you when you're most vulnerable. When you're guilty." He let the words wash over him, his body relaxing under her touch, "The feeling shoves you in a corner of your own mind, and despite everything, it can make you hurt people again. Master Bob was just looking out for you. And for your team." She sighed and pulled away, "And I know you don't see it right now, and it won't be an easy pill to swallow. So... do you want to tell me what happened?"

Laxus could feel his blood roar in his ears, his vision hazy as he sat down heavily, his anger from the night before fading to the defeat that had eaten at him since they had returned from the mission. He exhaled, his shoulders hunched as she watched him deflated, "Where do I Even begin?"

Lucy hummed, leaning against her kitchen counter, "Would it be easier for you to tell me the short version or the long version?"

He shrugged, eyes down as he thought, "I guess I'll just tell you how it is." Laxus nodded to himself, not even sure why he was speaking to her about it in the first place, "We selected a mission. It was meant to be simple. I'd been driving the team pretty hard and wanted them to take something easy for once. We were just meant to take down a dark guild. But as it turns out, the guild has multiple strong leaders, they go by the name _Infernos._ They took a while to track down and when we finally got one..." He shivered, glaring at his hands, "The bitch used manipulation magic. But she only controls men. Had me on my knees before I could knock her out. She made me attack my team and then had them fight me."

His voice was strained and Lucy knelt down in front of him. The veins in his neck bulged and the blonde woman frowned, "So you're wound is from them?"

He nodded, closing his eyes, "She said they were planning something big. Her and her guild. And then she mentioned E.N.D or something and then Zeref. If anything, I'd say they were another crazy cult. But their strong. And they've been terrorizing various towns. I failed my team. I failed those people. Just like I failed during Tartorus..."

Lucy couldn't help but smile, though it was strained and pulled at her cheeks painfully, "You can only grow stronger. If you're weak, you get stronger. If you get knocked down, you go down kicking and get right back up. We never give up. You of all people should know that Laxus."

He blinked at her, shocked to hear the words that she had spoken. He could barely register the hand that she had raised. Her left hand with her pink guild mark, "No matter what happened and what will happen… We are members of Fairy Tail and we stand by each other no matter what. So, let me help you Laxus."

He processed her words slowly and Lucy placed her hand over his guild mark on his chest. The shiver that shot down his spine jolted him back to reality and he smirked, "You don't even know what I'll need for you to help."

She answered his smirk with a smile, eyes glinting, "No one messes with a Fairy. I think we showed them what happens when they bang on our door."

 **xXxXx The First Sin xXxXx**

 **Thank you to Flamey Owl, Jade, Mewhee89 and Tiernank for reviewing the first chapter. And to everyone that followed / and favourited this fic. It makes me really happy that people are interested in this story.**

 **I hope you liked this chapter. I know they seem a little OOC but I think it works. This was essentially a filler / information chapter, and so will the next one… a little. In any case, thank you.**

 **Please review. Have a Happy Easter everyone!**


	3. A Fairies Plan

**The First Sin**

 **Summary** : "It's what you want my dear Dragon." She paused as she sat down, only letting his hand go once he stood in front of her, "I can give it to you. Everything you ever wished for." She rested her hand on his bare stomach, his mind barely registering that his shirt was gone as she licked her lips, "And so, so much more." – Sent during the Guilds disbandment. LaLu and other couples.

 **Authors note:** Next chapter right here! A little earlier than expected but I'll be away till Sunday evening! This chapter is a little jumpy in terms of time but we start digging' deep and the next chapter will take us straight into the action! Enjoy and let me know what you think!

 **Disclaimer:** I in no way own Fairy Tail! I do however own my own characters.

 **Arc:** Lust

 **Chapter 3:** A Fairies Plan

"Ok Blondie. This is what I know-" He shoved a book across the table at her, their booth shielding them from view. The rest of the guild had been shocked when she had arrived, dragon slayer in toe, but Master Bob had welcomed them with open arms; After yelling at Laxus for worrying him with the way he had left and for having stayed away for so long.

"The bitch we found, her name is Luxuria. She uses manipulation magic according to Freed. Only affects male, which we found out the hard way. She's the youngest of the guilds elite. We caught her outside of Crocus... But she knew we were coming. She had the lesser guild members waiting in the trees. But she'd somehow already taken control of me and virtually shut off my sense of smell. Eventually all my senses were dulled down just before the attack. Ever... if Freed hadn't broken out of her control... Ever would have been..." His throat tightened and Lucy paled, understanding instantly what he was implying. The self-dubbed Fairy Queen was like a sister to him, and to watch her go through something like that... Lucy shivered at the thought.

"The main thing is, is that it didn't happen. Freed stopped it. Now our focus is to find her again. How did you find her last time?"

"Her smell. She would lead the attacks on villages, and the women that had their men taken... if they lived they wished they didn't. Most of them were sick. Begging for something no one knew about. We searched and questioned people for two days after we accepted the mission and it was enough to last me a life time. But at every scene there was this sweet smell, it was smooth and rich, I guess if Wendy had been there she would have said it was thick. Heavy almost like when it gets really humid in Magnolia. Ever said it made her dizzy if she stayed too long around it."

Lucy's brows pulled together, glaring unseeingly at the words on the map, a crude design drawn at the bottom, "So someone with a normal sense of smell knew it was there. And it was sweet. Was it only this town that was attacked at the time?" Lucy pointed to a cluster of crosses just outside Crocus.

"No, there were reports, a lot more, around the coast. Mostly around Hargeon. But after the attack and Master Bob banning me from missions with my team, I went back to Crocus and looked around. I hit a dead end almost immediately... I lost it and started drinking… Then you found me in the alley." He sighed. It had been a week since she had found him, and forced him to stay until her spirit, a copy of Wendy anyway, could heal him completely, "I may have failed the mission, but the council still thinks I'm assigned to it, which means I can keep working on it."

"Which means you can get the Rune Knights to help when you need them." Lucy nodded tapped her chin, lost in thought, "So, a sweet smell always hung around the scene, a smell that normal people can smell. It made Ever dizzy. And most attacks have been happening around Hargeon... What's there that would make it so important?"

Laxus glanced at the page before looking back at her, "I'd say we take a trip to Hargeon and find out." He smirked, excitement bubbling in his gut. He felt a little guilty for excluding his team, but he technically wasn't meant to do the mission in the first place. And if he got in trouble, then that was on him.

"To Hargeon." She shared a smile with him before getting up, stretching out and grabbing the book from the desk.

"Meet me at the bus station in an hour, got it?" Laxus said, stalking past her to open the door, but holding it open for her instead of passing through it like she expected.

"Men~! So polite. So-" Ichiya groaned as the door slammed in his face, neither blondes on the other side wanting to deal with him.

 **xXx The First Sin xXx**

"Blondie." Laxus chuckled as Lucy jumped in her seat, her book landing on the bench with a loud thump. She glared at him, a hand on her heart. He could hear her blood pumping, the adrenaline forcing her to alertness, "No need to be so jumpy."

He bent down, revealing the duffel he had slung over his back, and grabbed her book, brushing off the cover with his shirt, before holding it out for her to take.

"Yeah, well sometimes being alone backs you jumpy." She bit out, taking her book back quickly before looking away, a faint blush marring her cheeks, "Sorry. I didn't mean it to sound like that-"

"Blondie." He smirked when she whirled on him, "Relax. I know what you meant. It's not the same without them around. I get that." The sincerity in his voice ate away at her agitation and she sighed, standing from her seat so she could face him.

"Are you ready?" She asked, looking at him expectantly.

"Yeah, yeah. But we aren't taking the damn bus." He grumbled, grabbing her hand and pulled her across the road and towards the tree line surrounded the town.

"Hey. Hey! What are you doing?" Lucy dug her feet into the ground, straining against his hold.

"We're going to Onibus and taking the damned train from there. So deal with it." He cursed when she struggled and he spun on his heel, using the arm the held her to pull her closer before holding her to his chest, "You better hold on."

Lightning danced around them and the tell-tale boom of his lightning had Lucy's hair standing on end. The sparks that danced over her skin tickled and a strange warmth filled her before the forest disappeared. Everything was yellow and gold and moved in a blend of shades. It made her stomach churn but the thrill of the lightning and being so close to a dangerous element had her blood pumping.

And before she knew it, they landed and her legs buckled, but Laxus' arm held her up. She was panting, a thin sheen was sweat coating her skin as she looked around, her brain struggling to piece the scenery together with the words in her head.

"Oi, Blondie. You ok?" Laxus shook her gently, dropping his bag in favour of lowering her to the ground.

"Y-yeah. Just... yeah." Her incoherent thoughts made themselves apparent and Laxus chuckled. A sharp sting entered her thigh where his hand was resting and she yelped, her thoughts snapping into place instantly, "What was that for?"

Her shriek had him groaning, "Well it worked, didn't it?" He didn't wait for her as he stood and grabbed his bag from where he had dropped it in favour of grabbing her. The train station was before them and they had a job to get done.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" Lucy bolted after him, hitting him with her book but only just grazing the top of his shoulder. She grumbled under her breath as he purchased their tickets and they boarded the train. He quickly found seats and sat down, his sound pods on and his arms crossed as he glared out the window.

The train whistle blew and he paled, visibly tensing to Lucys' amusement. She grabbed a small bottle from her pant pocket and held it out to him, waiting until her looked at her to speak.

"These are tablets that will help with your motion sickness." She frowned when he glared at her and shoved the small container into her hand, pressing the glass into his elbow so it wouldn't fall, "Don't glare at me like a child. You're a Dragon Slayer. Doesn't matter whether you're a first generation or not. It affects you guys all the same." Lucy grabbed the bottle that was sticking out of his bag and passed it to him, only to sigh and place it on the seat between them.

She turned to her book, ignoring the muffled gag that came from her partner.

The sound of the glass bottle opening and the pills shake was quickly followed by sloshing water and Lucy did a small cheer in her head at her little victory.

The rest of the ride was done in silence and Lucy could only think about how they had gotten into the situation they were in.

 _Week prior_

 _"I said you could help me. I never said you were coming with me." Laxus followed the blonde through her small apartment, groaned when she shoved a hand full of clothes into his chest._

 _"Too bad. You need my help out there on the mission. Just not working through communication lacrima. So now you have to deal with me." She huffed as she tore open a bag and started dumping her belongings into it. The clothes he had held vanished within seconds and he watched in fascination as she worked, systematically pulling things from their places and popping them into her bag._

 _"How do you think you can help me on the field when my own team couldn't?" He growled, his anger getting the better of him. He didn't register the way she froze or the suddenly tense atmosphere in the room. The only thing he could think about was his failure on the mission and the injuries his team had come home with._

 _"You don't change. And you're just like all the others." Her whisper was sharp, the venom in her voice shocking him, "I'm not some innocent damsel. I can carry my own weight and I can damn well help you find the bitch that hurt you and your team in the first place!"_

 _Her fist collided with his cheek before he could react and he hit the floor. He laid prone as she stood over him, her chest heaving._

 _"You were banned from taking missions with a guild mate. But the mission was a council summons, right? Which means that you can't go on a mission with them in any case. But no one ever said you couldn't get another mage to assist you. Which means I'm your best bet. And considering the trouble you've already had, I'm also your best choice." Lucy took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she continued, "Besides. If we're going to find this woman, you're also going to need another female considering Evergreen was the only one in your team not affected by her magic. So… let's get your notes from your guild and get moving."_

 _She left no room for argument. And so, considering he still wasn't completely healed, she had banned him from using his teleportation._

 _Present_

So, it had taken a little under a week to reach Blue Pegasus and they really began their adventure.

"What are you thinkn' about Blondie?" Laxus's voice broke through her train of though and Lucy blinked up at him, barely registering that he was leaning over her.

"Hmm?" She hummed, not too sure what he meant.

"You've been staring at the page for nearly half an hour. Somethings going on in that brain of yours." His observation stunned her for a moment before she sighed and closed her book.

"I have a lot of things on my mind. The woman that beat you and your team," He growled and she rolled her eyes before continuing, "The fact that we have no idea who or what is behind the attacks or why they're doing what they're doing. You can only assume they act on behalf of Zeref; But you have no proof. There's also the fact that the last time I fought I..." Lucy cleared her throat, turning away from the slayer to stare at the keys on her belt, "The last time I fought was against Tartorus."

"The last time you fought you not only saved everyone, but you went against two of those demons on your own and gave us all a fighting chance. That's not something to look down upon. You're stronger than before. No matter how much of an arse I am, even I can see that."

Lucy shrugged, one thought flying through her head, _'I couldn't save everyone_.'

"Hey…" Laxus nudged her with his elbow and drew her attention, only took look out the window as he spoke, "If there is anyone that could help me right now, it's you. You're smart, and you know your way around things. Plus, you've got a unique magic that can help you when you need it. Those are all things that count." His cheeks flushed a pale pink and Lucy held her breath, "Well, shit. I'm not good at this stuff. But you're alright Lucy. I'm sorry for all the crap I've given you since you joined the guild. And... ah. Thanks. For that medicine. It really helped."

Lucy giggled, making the blonde hulk of a man to glare at her, "I forgave you a long time ago Laxus." She rested her hand on his arm and leant in close, "We're nakama after all."

"Yeah." He nodded, eyes wide as he stared at her, "Nakama to the end."

 **xXx The First Sin xXx**

Hargeon was busy. From the harbour, all the way to the surrounding woods. People were getting ready to sell their harvest. Winter was approaching and all the outlying villages wanted their share of the profits. The smell of fish was thick and it made Laxus cringe while Lucy covered her mouth in a bid to avoid the tinge of salt on her tongue.

They tried to make their way through the markets as quickly as possible while also trying to find the sweet smell that had remained at the attack site against the Thunder Legion and other crime scenes.

"This is useless!" Laxus punched the wall of the alley they had stepped into, "We've been here for a week and still nothing."

Lucy rolled her eyes, "Relax Laxus. The notes pointed us in this direction. It's the only lead we have-"

"It's not a lead if it's a dead end!" His voice drowned her out and Lucy flinched away, cautious of the sparks that danced across his skin. His eyes were sunken, testament to his efforts in trying to track down the ever elusive Luxuria.

Silence fell between them, only the rumble of buyers and sellers disturbing them.

"I... I know this is frustrating. But I'm sure it's Hargeon where she has to be. Because..." Lucy paused before she straightened, rushing out of the alley way without looking to see if Laxus had followed her.

"Lucy!" The blonde man charged after her, being mindful of the people swarming through the streets. The only think that helped him follow her was the fact that she had on a pink singlet and white jacket which made her stand out.

They ran through town, people giving them a wide birth as they stormed through the markets Despite his size and strength, Lucy was simply faster than him and he barely kept up with her. She had a destination in mind and she was set on getting there.

It was only a few minutes later when they arrived at the actual docks of the harbour, panting and tired. But it was the fierce look on Lucy's face that stopped the complaint from slipping off his tongue.

"Here. The smell has to be coming from somewhere around here." She huffed, straightening her clothes and hair as she looked around, eyes sharp.

"What's here? Don't tell me you want to fish will tell us where she is. They can't talk." Laxus gladly accepted the elbow to his stomach as the blonde woman rounded on him, her eyes shining with an emotion he couldn't place.

"You said you couldn't smell anything sweet. Not anything aside from the normal sweet things anyway." She lifted a finger to point to the town centre, "And the smell of fish in Hargeon Market is too strong even for your nose."

"Well, yeah. The only sweet thing I could smell in there was you." He noted the way a blush decorated her cheeks before clearing his throat, "And the sweet smell I remember was different. Thicker than most air. I'm sure if Wendy had smelt it she would have notice."

"Wendy would have been in a near instant state of delirium with her nose and inhaling the stuff." Lucy nodded, lifting a second finger, "The smell was thick. And incredibly sweet. Sweeter than even strawberries and other fruits that you smelled. Which leaves us with one answer. And the main reason we're here in Hargeon."

Laxus stared at the woman, unsure of whether the pressure had made her a little crazy, "And what, exactly, would we be here for."

"Opium." The word was so simple and slid off her tongue so easily that he baulked at her.

"Opium?" He didn't have the slightest idea what she was on about but he felt that if she was this confident, she had to be right.

"Here, Opium is an illegal substance. That's why we're here. Because Hargeon is rumoured to have a smuggling ring importing illicit items. Opium being one of them," She took a breath, her excitement making her light headed, "Opium is an extract of a flower, which people nicknamed that 'Happy Drug'. No one really knows what it does except for the fact that people with chronic pain and depression benefit greatly from it. That, and it carries a very sweet smell when burned. My guess is that Luxuria either works at or owns an Opium den here at Hargeon. And considering the fact that she potentially owns it, she would reek of the stuff no matter where she went."

Laxus digested her words slowly, taking into account any faults and variants in what she was saying. It was only when he grinned and grabbed Lucy by the shoulders that he spoke, "You're a genius Lucy! I've never even heard of the stuff before."

Lucy blushed, "Well, it used to only be the rich that could afford to smuggle it in. So… I could be wrong..."

"Don't say that. Now, where would an Opium Den be around here?" He looked around, noticing only the rotting wood and dank concrete of the buildings along it.

"It'll be hidden. And likely underground. But fresh air would need to be ventilated into it to make sure people didn't overdose quickly." Lucy hummed as they started down one of the docks, peering into the buildings through grimy windows, "You should be able to catch a whiff of it eventually."

And so, they walked between all the buildings and through the dank alleys till the sun started setting. They were about to give up when Laxus stopped, noticing Lucy sway the further they walked towards the abandoned section of the docks where only the skeletal remains of boats bobbed in the water.

"Blondie? Oi!" She staggered, teetered, and would have hit the ground if Laxus hadn't grabbed her, "Lucy!"

 **xXx The First Sin xXx**

 **And there you have chapter 3! I hope you liked it. This wasn't edited so I hope it wasn't too bad. Please let me know what you think!**

 **And a huge shout out to everyone that has review already:**

 **Tiernank, Mewhee89, Jade, Flamey Owl, Desna, LaluHeart777, Laxus x Lucy Lover, saskiarosee and both guest reviews! It means a lot that you guys took the effort to tell me you liked the fic!**


	4. A Heated Embrace

**The First Sin**

 **Summary:** "It's what you want my dear Dragon." She paused as she sat down, only letting his hand go once he stood in front of her, "I can give it to you. Everything you ever wished for." She rested her hand on his bare stomach, his mind barely registering that his shirt was gone as she licked her lips, "And so, so much more." – Sent during the Guilds disbandment. LaLu and other couples.

 **Authors note:** I'm so, so sorry it took so long to get this up! But here's the next chapter. Sorry if it doesn't make much sense. It gets explained in the next chapter!

 **Disclaimer:** I in no way own Fairy Tail! I do however own my own characters.

 **Arc:** Lust

 **Chapter 4:** A Heated Embrace

His grin horrified the patrons as he stalked through their midst.

Thick white smoke filled the room, the smell of mold and rot burning his nose almost as much as the sweetness in the air. Lightning crackled all around him, striking anyone who strayed too close to him or took too long to move out of his way.

"Where is she?" His growl had men running, those that were too high on the opium either tried to tackle him or opted to play dead, hoping they could avoid the wrath of the slayer stalking through the den, "Where's Luxuria?"

"Why ya lookin'?" A man, muscular and tanned, stood from the floor, his pipe hitting the table with a thud that echoed through the now silent room.

"I have a score to settle with the bitch." Laxus stood toe to toe with the man, towering over him easily. Small sparks bounced between them but the man didn't react, his pupils dilated so much that Laxus could barely see any colour in them at all.

"Do ya now? And what happens when our supply dries up if you make her scram? Lotta people ain't gonna be happy wif ya." The man slurred, his breath blowing the putrid sweetness over the dragon slayer.

"Well you lot will just have to find something else to occupy your time with." Laxus tried to barrel past, only to meet resistance as the man stood his ground, "The hell?"

"There's an amazing advantage to opium kid." The man smirked, the muscles in his arms bunching as he drew his fist back, "One of em is it makes you as strong as the best of em'!"

His fist flew and Laxus grunted as he grabbed the man's wrist, twisting out of the way of a kick from another patron. Men and women alike in the den didn't like the disruption, and wanted to get back to smoking as soon as possible. What they didn't realised was that while Laxus was strong to start with, he had slowly been exposed to the Opium smoke since he started the investigation. So the benefits they spoke of had already taken hold of him, adding to his already monstrous strength.

Lightning sparked through the room, knocking out the lights and knocking people out throughout the den, "I'm not in the damn mood!"

He didn't even know who he was striking as limbs flew, his body barely took a hit as he took out one person after the other, the opium and his rage fuelling him. His blood pumped through his veins, magic tingling as he decimated his opponents.

It wasn't until the room fell silent that he paused, his chest heaving. His lightning lighting the room slightly. It was only then that the sound of faint clapping echoed in his ears.

He growled, knowing his senses had already been dulled. Luxuria was with him.

"My, my… Don't you have a temper." She clucked her tongue, heels clicking around the perimeter of the room. He refused to move, eyes following her steps like a hawk. But the more she walked, the more his mind grew hazy. His magic diminished until it fizzled under his skin, making him aware just how unsure he suddenly was.

"Come on Laxus... No more cat and mouse." She whispered and he barely heard it. She approached slowly, her hands coming forwards as though to hug him, "You know you want what I can give you..."

He growled, but his mouth refused to form the words he wanted to spit at her. A wicked smirk crossed her face, red lips pulled tight across pale skin.

"You've been hunting me. Learning about me. At least, what you could glean anyway... And yet a little blonde bimbo outsmarted you. Tried to take your glory for the mission as her own. She wanted to feel important again." Luxuria finally stepped over to him, her painted nails digging into his chest slightly. He couldn't even flinch when she pressed harder in his flesh harder through his shirt, "I'm not all that bad you see. I don't know why the council even want me. I'm just trying to take away the peoples' pain."

In his mind, he pressed against the cage she had set up. A very distant part of him realised he was acting like when he tried to take over the guild. But he ignored it all, baring his teeth at her.

"You made me fail. You hurt my team. That's enough reason for me to hand you over to the Rune Knights." His growl was guttural and savage, glaring at her with all the anger he had in him.

The more he looked at her smug expression, the more his head swam and Luxuria laughed, the sound loud and rattled him to his core, "You're hilarious! You can't even fight against my hold! How will you hand me over?"

She turned her back to him and danced away towards a door at the back of the den. She leapt over her unconscious patrons, barely even glancing at them aside from making sure she didn't trip on them. Laxus wasn't so lucky. His mind swam and his feet carried him after her as though he were drunk. Every muscle felt like jelly and he was surprised that he could even walk at all.

He tripped over everyone in his path, cracking tables and benches as he held them for support. His strength was unmeasured in his delirious state, his mind assaulted by her voice at every turn, "I know all about you pet... Your greed. Your wants. Your greatest desire..."

He followed her into the other room, staggering away from the doorway. As long as he could see her, he would be ok. Or so he thought.

The door slammed shut behind him and he turned, swaying on his feet. Luxuria was a blur of red lips, pale hair and blue eyes. Everything swam almost as much as his thoughts did. His depth perception was completely off too, the knowledge of it coming to the forefront of his mind when the witch pressed herself against him, her ample front pressed flush against him.

"Come on Laxus," She whispered, lips twisted into a wicked grin, "You know you want it. I can give it to you. That's why you're after me. Not because of a mission, but your desire. I have given people countless gifts, you know I can give you a gift too." Her hand trailed down his neck, her sharp nails leaving a thin trail of blood in its wake, "I know all there is to know about you."

"That's. Not. Fair." The words struggled to form, fighting against her hold draining him incredibly.

"Oh sweetie. Nothing in life is fair." She laughed, spinning away from him. Colours and sounds blurred together, the strands of his mental strength snapping, one after the other. She stretched her arms out to him, beckoning him closer. His legs carried him closer as she sat down on the far side of the room, "You know you want what I can give you. You can get what you've wanted for so long now. Get what you couldn't when those horrible guild mates ruined your Thunder Palace. I can help you get it. I can _give_ it to you. That power. That strength that you want so desperately. I can make you better.

Her hand clawed through his clothing and shredded his shirt. She gingerly rested a hand his chest, feeling his heart beat. He groaned, his conscious locked in a box and his raw desire taking control, "Power?" A growl reverberated through his chest and Luxuria moaned, pressing her lips to his abdomen, lipstick staining his skin.

"Oh yes, I can give you that. _And so, so much more."_ Their eyes locked and Laxus felt his internal war slowing, his morals losing strength till he could no longer think about retaliation. The darkest part of him reared its ugly head, hungry for what she promised. His magic was haywire, his heart and mind conflicted. Lust making his blood pump through her veins, carrying her words with it.

The static was palpable, and Luxuria laughed as small sparks jumped from the blondes' skin, "That's it. That's what you want, isn't it?"

She smiled into his stomach, the lights around the room flickering, the candle flames shifting from a warm amber to a sickly green. The larcima globs in the ceiling popping from his magic, dousing everything into shadows except where the green fire light touched.

"You know what you have to do, don't you?" She licked her lips, tongue dancing across his abs, "You're a smart boy. I'm sure you know who's dragging you down. Who's holding you back. She's just dead weight anyway. Nothing more, nothing less."

The clatter that came from the other room went unheard by the dragon slayer, all his senses focused on the witch before him.

"Strength... and power..." Her words bounced around his head, tearing through his brain like knives, severing any objections he had in regards to her promise. His human side shrivelled, and his dragon purred instead, begging to take control.

"It's what you want my dragon. Don't deny it." Luxuria paused, sitting back on her seat, one hand resting low on his hip while the other pointed to the door, "I can give it to you. Everything you ever wished for." She licked her lips, purring as she looked at him through hooded eyes, "But first, you have to deal with her."

The venom in her voice was a stinging leash on his soul as the door behind them burst apart, bits of splintered wood harmlessly bouncing off his back. He turned, his chest rumbling with the force of his growl. His inner dragon not appreciating the interruption at all.

"Your weakest link has just done you a favour pet. She has handed herself to you on a silver platter. Now, fulfil your wish. Do what you must." Her nails pierced the tender flesh on his hip, her hand pushing him away so he could turn and face the intruder, "Just one attack. One hit is all it will take." The woman pressed herself into her back, her arms wrapped around his middle for a split second before she removed herself, his magic sparking into existence around him.

"Laxus!" The call was answered with a feral growl. His eyes couldn't make out who the person was, but his mind knew and it was like someone had set off an explosion in his head. Warning bells were ringing as his magic output increased, the yellow electricity illuminating the room.

"Run..." The words were ground out, like there was a vice around his throat. Lightning soared from him, slamming into the ground where the intruder stood. And it was only when the light dissipated that he noticed she hadn't been struck, and something inside him relaxed.

"No, no, no. We can't have that." Luxuria frowned, taking in the outfit the blonde intruder wore. Genie pants in the softest shade of pink, a bikini of gold and a veil of yellow protected the woman, a faint shimmer of magic cocooning her, making her immune to the opium and Luxuria, "We can't have that at all."

The witch focused on the enslaved dragon slayer and he lunged, his arms outstretched. But the blonde man was too slow, and with his enhanced dragon skill squashed under Luxurias' spell he just couldn't keep up. Lucy ducked and dodged, weaving around him as she focused on his own attacker. Her movements effectively placed her between Luxuria and Laxus.

"Laxus... You need to fight this. Fight her. I don't... I won't hurt you. I said I would help you, and I will. I don't break my promises. But you need to help yourself first." Lucy pleaded, her hand flying into the pouch on her hip, taking a quick look around the room. There was nothing to protect herself with and she had to think quickly. She spun to face Luxuria and glared.

"L-Lucy." Laxus growled, sounding almost inhuman, his words so guttural that it chilled the blonde woman to her bones.

"Open! Gate of the Golden Bull! Taurus!" The sound of a bell echoed through the room and Taurus appeared, his face fierce as he squared off with Laxus, his back pressed to his masters, "I'm ready Lucy." All signs of flirtation forgotten in the face of a strong opponent.

"Don't hurt him Taurus. Just use your axe as a lightning rod. Draw his attacks away." Lucy only received a nod from over his shoulder before he was off, engaging Laxus so that she could focus on the other woman in the room, "And I'll deal with you."

Lucy dug into her pocket again and pulled out her whip, the magic length spooling at her feet quickly, flexing her wrist so it snapped taunt. She tried to pay the lightning bouncing around the room no mind.

"Kinky. I'll put that whip to good use once I've dealt with you." Luxuria laughed, sending a wink at the blonde. Lucy shivered in response, her eyes wide in horror.

"Cut the crap. Now let Laxus go!" She cracked the whip again, this time, striking the ground by Luxuria's feet.

"Hmm. I don't want to." The woman burst into giggles, arms wrapped tight around her middle, "What do you truly think you'll achieve here aside from an early grave? Your precious Laxus couldn't take me on. And I, though _I loath_ to admit it, am the weakest of my siblings. You don't stand a chance sweetheart."

Luxuria took a step forward, eyes glowing an eerie shade of blue. Lucy twisted her wrist, striking the ground between her and her opponent. It only seemed to aggravate the youngest Infernos sibling. Luxuria moved faster than Lucy's eyes could follow, her arms wrapping around the end of the whip before yanking, jerking Lucy forward and into her chest.

The witch held Lucy to her, hands gentle massaging her bare lower back, "Now... no need for violence. We can have fun you know... You and I... and him, if you want." Her words were heavy, the magic trying to worm its way into Lucy's mind. The blonde tried to focus, shaking off the spell easily. It was only when Taurus cried out that a wave of magic washed over her. The large bull spirit slammed into the two women, sending them sprawling across the pillows around Luxurias' throne.

"You imbecile! Stop playing around!" Luxuria sprung to her feet, rage making her eyes glow. She turned to Lucy just as the blonde stood up, shaking off the effects of the spell, "Yes. No more games. I don't need another toy anyway. Let's be done with her."

Lucy flinched, angling herself to keep Luxuria and Laxus in her line of sight. Just looking at the blank stare on Laxus' face made her blood freeze. With a silent command, she sent Taurus away, a plan forming quickly as Laxus charge up. But despite the blank look on her partner's face, she could see his limbs shaking, sweat dripping from him in rivets. The lightninging was building by the second, but so was her plan.

A thunderclap sounded through the room, so loud it left the women's ears ringing. Lucy lunged for the witch, colliding with her torso with enough for to stagger her. Arms locked tight and legs wrapped around the woman's legs, Lucy held on, wincing when a hand twisted in her hair.

"Get off me! Off!" No matter what Luxuria did, she couldn't dislodge the blonde.

Lucy met Laxus' stare, giving him a small smile when she saw how his face pinched, his muscles coiled tight, testament to the strain he was undertaking to hold back.

"It's okay Laxus."

And then all she knew was pain.

 **The First Sin**

 **And there is the end of the Lust arc. Next chapter begins the new arc and a lot more answers. And also a lot more mystery. And how does Laxus feel about being inappropriately touched? Find out in the next chapter.**

 **This was also the first time I've written a fight scene so let me know what you think about it!**

 **Thank you to the following people that reviewed last chapter, you were the ones that gave me the motivation to keep writing this chapter (I hit a little block):**

 **westerngoddess**

 **Desna**

 **Laxus x Lucy Lover**

 **katiekat2001**

 **LaluHeart777**

 **XxShyxX**

 **saskiarosee**

 **Helenezahl**

 **Kurahieiritr**

 **Gayres0918**


	5. Next Steps

**The First Sin**

 **Summary:** "My, my… She has such delicious thoughts… _So_ envious. So much hate. It's the best thing I've ever tasted!" He ran his fingers through her hair, cradling her to his chest, "All alone. Abandoned. Your family stayed with you. While her family left." – Sent during the Guilds disbandment. LaLu and other couples.

 **Authors note** : Here is the next chapter! Back on track with it. This chapter can count as a filler / intro to the next Arc. Hope you enjoy it because things are about to heat up!

 **Disclaimer:** I in no way own Fairy Tail! I do however own my own characters.

 **Arc:** Envy

 **Chapter 5:** Next Step

Laxus stared in disbelief, his mind sluggish as the spell finally wore off. His magic still sparks along his skin, but his senses hit him full force, staggering him and sending him to his knees. The smell of scorched skin and burned hair entered his nose, making him gag. It was only the quiet moan he heard that had him back on his feet and swallowing down the bile in his throat.

Staggering, the hulking man made his way across the room, ignoring everything except the blonde against the far wall.

"Lucy." His voice was husky and he licked his lips to try again, " _Lucy."_

The woman hissed as she opened her eyes, squinting to see him. Her arms cradled her waist and her clothes were charred, barely hiding her most intimate areas from him, "You're... okay..." Her whisper only pulled at his heart and he knelt down, hands hovering just above her, unsure where to touch her.

"Of course I am. But you- Why did you _do_ that? I could have killed you!" His voice was raw, his throat tightening as he took in her injuries. Surprisingly the worst seemed to be the reddened skin on her waist, but for all he knew, even if her clothing protected her, she could have had internal injuries and he would have been none the wiser.

"Virgo... Virgo said that clothes were insulated." A shuddering gasp left the blondes lips and she slumped forward, one lithe hand reaching up to grab his.

Laxus held his breath, his hand dwarfing hers. He could feel her shaking and his eyes widened at the scar on her now exposed side. White skin snaked up her waist, lightning burned into her flesh forever immortalised, a symbol and testament to having survived his lightning.

"Lucy..." He couldn't find the words to say he was sorry. Couldn't even hold her and make sure she was ok for fear of hurting her more. But when she turned her head, her smile made his heart stutter. It was strained, and her eyes gave away her pain, and yet she wanted him to feel better. No matter what state she was in.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine." And just like that her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell forward, colliding with his chest with a dull thump.

"Stupid woman..." Laxus huffed before readjusting her, cradling her gently to him as he stood, "Of all the dumb things you could have done..."

He scoffed, but his eyes were drawn down to her face, the pain having fled her while she rested. His heart clenched, the image of her being struck, him being unable to call off his magic, watching through his own eyes like a movie... He shivered at the memory, careful of how frail she was.

The rest of the opium den remained unconscious and Laxus swallowed heavily. His hands were numb, remembering all the hits he had landed. Disgust welled up in him but he ignored it, a more important task at hand.

 **xXx The First Sin xXx**

 _"Lucy..."_

 _She moaned, barely opening her eyes to look around. But what she saw shocked her and she bolted upright, her body numb._

 _"Whe-where am I?" Wide brown eyes took in the stars all around her, the invisible ground she sat on bewildering and terrifying at the same time._

 _"Relax. You're fine here." The voice was achingly familiar and Lucy turn to face the speaker, a sharp sting burning her eyes._

 _"Aquarius?" The whisper barely left her mouth, afraid if she spoke to loudly than she would realise that none of what she was seeing was real._

 _"Yes Lucy. It's me." A gentle hand landed in her blonde hair and pulled her into an affectionate hug, "And you're so stupid..."_

 _"How..." Lucy swallowed, feeling the tears fall down her cheeks, "How are you here?"_

 _Aquarius sighed above her before leaning back, hands cupping Lucy face, "You're asleep. But the King let me have the time to connect with you this way. Being asleep is the closest you can be the the Spirit Realm without actually crossing through a gate. And he said you needed it... Loke... He said you'd been stupid and Taurus was angry when he came back. I can only assume you had something to do with that." The amused look in the water spirits eyes made Lucy laugh, the hole in her chest closing a little bit._

 _"Ah... well. I'm on a mission right now. I guess. And I sent Taurus away because I knew he would stop me from doing what I did." A faint blush coated Lucy's cheeks and she looked away, unable to take the accusing gaze the mermaid pinned her with._

 _"And what, exactly, did you do?" Aquarius huffed, turning Lucy to face her again._

 _"I um, Iusedmyselfasalightningrod!" The jumbled words still made sense to Aquarius and the spirit_ _bulked at her previous master, disbelief and horror making the colour drain from her face._

 _"You did what!" She quickly pulled the blonde up from the ground, hands flying to make sure she wasn't injured in any life-threatening way._

 _"I'm ok! I'm fine." Lucy batted the fluttering hands away, "I think Laxus managed to pull back some of his magic. I think he's taking care of me now… my body, at least."_

 _She placed a hand to her heart, feeling it beat under her palm._

 _"Tch. Yeah, well you gotta be more careful." Aquarius glared at the blonde before making sure she was really alright, "Now listen here."_

 _Lucy snapped to attention, eyes alert as she drank in the sight of her oldest friend and spirit._

 _"I'm not allowed to say too much. But the Spirit King is worried. About you... About what's happening on Earthland. Leo brought something back that Crux is looking into. So stay sharp out there. And be ready for anything."_

 _Lucy cried out as something pushed on her, mind reeling as darkness consumed her._

She jolted awake with a start, half upright when her side flared with pain. She could barely groan as she tried to catch her breath, her lungs contracting. Sweat covered her, a large shirt clung to her pale skin as she tried to take everything in.

"Woah. Calm down blondie!" The familiar voice sent a wave of comfort through her and Lucy squinted through the light of the room to see Laxus next to her, his hair messy and his eyes hollow. He looked as though he hadn't eaten or slept in days.

"Laxus..." She croaked, her mouth dry.

"Here. Drink this." Gently, he placed a straw in her mouth and held up a glass for her to drink from. Slowly, she took in small mouthfuls of the liquid, surprised by the sweetness that greeted her.

"Thank you." Lucy sat back when she had her fill, the pain subsiding from her body, "What was that?"

Laxus looked away, ruffling her hair, "I took you to a healer. They said there was no permanent damage so they made medicine that you could drink. Your clothes did a lot to save your ass."

"Guess I should thank Virgo for that then." Lucy smiled, ignoring the way he glared at her. He sat down on the bed heavily, his eyes conveying his worry and agitation for her.

"And just what the hell were you thinking back there?" His voice rose drastically, his arms caging her on either side, her back flush against the headboard, " _I could have killed you_!"

Lucy huffed, crossing her arms and trying not to shiver as their breath mingled, "But you didn't kill me. I'm still here."

Laxus growled, leaning forward till their noses touched, "That isn't the point."

"Of course it is." She rolled her eyes, ignoring the tinge of orange that appeared in his eyes.

"I won't... I can't have your death on my conscience! I won't be the reason you die!" His voice cracked, eyes glossier than ever as he looked down at her.

Lucy held her breath as he moved closer, leaning closer and closer. She closed her eyes, not daring to move an inch. She felt his arms wrap around her and felt her heart stop, his heart pounding next to her ear as he pulled her close, "Thank you... Lucy."

"What did I do?" Lucy tried to talk but his shirt muffled her voice and she wrapped her own arms around his waist, relishing in his heat.

"You helped me. You saved me. You... Just..." Laxus growled and Lucy felt him lift his head from hers, "Thank you."

Her cheeks flushed when he pressed his lips onto the crown of her head, cradling her to him.

"I won't lose you." His words sent fire through her veins and she gasped. The feelings that suddenly raged through her were confusing but she subconsciously acknowledged his promise.

"I'm alright Laxus. I swear. But... what happened?" Lucy finally managed to push away, wincing as her wound pulled.

"I don't know. When the spell wore off, you were there, unconscious. And Luxuria was gone." He hissed when he met her wide eyes, "I'm hoping you didn't go through all that pain for nothing."

The regret in his eyes pulled at her heart and she grabbed his hand and held it tightly, "If she survived like I did, we'll find her. If she didn't survive... the ball is in your court."

The Dragon Slayer took a deep breath, calming himself, "I was originally ordered to find out what they were up to. Considering we haven't figured that out, we look for the next Infernos sibling."

"And do you know where to start?" Lucy stared deep into his eyes, seeing his commitment shine in them.

"No. But I figured we could work it out together." His toothy grin made her heart pound and she smiled back, still holding his hand.

"Together." She whispered, ignoring the words Aquarius had spoken to her.

 **xXx The First Sin xXx**

 **And there is the next chapter! Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thank you to the following for reviewing:**

 **Mill23**

 **Desna**

 **Westerngoddess**

 **Laxus x Lucy Lover**

 **Gayre0918**

 **saskiarosee**

 **LaluHeart777**

 **kurahieirtr JIO**


	6. Marked

**The First Sin**

 **Summary:** "My, my… She has such delicious thoughts… So envious. So much hate. It's the best thing I've ever tasted!" He ran his fingers through her hair, cradling her to his chest, "All alone. Abandoned. Your family stayed with you. While her family left." – Sent during the Guilds disbandment. LaLu and other couples.

 **Authors note:** Sorry it took a while to get this chapter out. Now that it's really getting into the thick of things, updates will likely come our weekly or fortnightly (depends on what happens throughout the week). In any case, hope you enjoy this chapter!

 **Disclaimer:** I in no way own Fairy Tail! I do however own my own characters.

 **Arc:** Envy

 **Chapter 6:** Marked

Lucy stared in the mirror, eyes wide as her fingers trailed up her side. Silvery white tendrils flowed from her hip up her waist and wrapped around to her shoulder blade. The slightly raised skin made it stand out on her flesh, but when she pressed it, it didn't hurt, but a faint charge flickered between her fingers and the scar whenever she did it.

"Amazing." Lucy gasped when it shocked her again, a blush coating her cheeks as warmth pooled in her belly, "Just… Wow."

Water slide down her back, reminding her of the fact that she still hadn't dried off after her bath. As quickly as she could, she threw on a singlet and a pair of shorts before exiting the bathroom, her hair wrapped in a towel. But when she entered the bedroom, her partner was nowhere to be seen, the only sign that he was actually rooming with her was his jacket over the back of the dining chair.

"Where could he have gone to?" Her questioned was answered when a boomed echoed in through the open window, a sudden gale rushing into the room and blowing the towel from her head, reminding her that they were quickly approaching the winter season.

The flash of lightning forced her to into action and she closed the window with a slam, the cold rain hammering against her skin like needles, "Cold! _Cold!"_

Lucy shivered as she closed the curtains, the lights flickering with the force of the storm. Even though she figured it was the weather causing the power issue, she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand up on end. Her instincts took over when another flash of lightning lit up the room, causing her wound to zap her. It was like a warning, an internal system that sent her blood racing.

"Calm down Lucy. Everything is fine. You're just overthinking it." She looked around, subconsciously wrapping a hand around her waist, brushing the lightning scar through her top.

"Being calm is _so_ boring though." A voice whispered from behind her and she couldn't help the shriek that left her. She spun around, muscles tensed for a fight, when she met the most stunning green eyes she had ever seen. She could see the forests and fields of grass in them, as though they held a whole world within them, "That's it… Just keep looking at me."

Her body went numb, every limb like lead that had her falling, only to be collected in the arms of the man with green eyes. Her mind wanted to fly away to the world he had shown her, a place of serenity and peace, but something held her back, placing bars around her and making the fields turn dark. His voice hypnotising her completely.

"Lucy! _Lucy!_ Open the door damn it!" The heavy pounding on the door barely drew her attention, and her mind slowly comprehended that the man holding her was an intruder and her room mate was outside the front door.

"Laxus!" She tried to yell, silently commanding her muscles to respond. But it was no use. Everything was frozen and she could barely focus enough to look away from the man, "Let me go!" Her words were but a whisper and without the actions of struggling to follow up her command, the man above her just laughed, his eyes twinkling with glee.

"Why would I do that? I wouldn't be able to let you know that I was grateful that you dealt with my horrible sister."

Lucy's eyes went wide, lips moving without sound. The pounding at the door stopped, and the wound on her side sparked, shocking the man holding her. She hit the ground just as the door blew up, showering bits of wood throughout the room. The man jumped away, a wicked smirk on his lips, eyes crinkled at the corners as he took in the newly arrived, and thoroughly soaked Dragon slayer.

"I see my clues weren't hard enough for you." The man laughed as Laxus threw a bottle at him, pieces of paper stuck in the neck of the bottle, "Now now. No need to be so cranky."

"Who the hell are you?" Lightning sparked off the blonde mans skin, searing his shirt in some places, "What do you want?"

"My name is Vana. I am the _second_ youngest Infernos sibling... Well, actually, I guess I'm the youngest now." Vana laughed, running a hand through his hair, "And I simply came to thank your beautiful partner here for getting rid of Luxuria. She was so pretentious."

"What the hell are you on about?" Laxus growled, standing protectively over a still immobile Lucy, "Just what are you on about? Wasn't she your sister? Didn't you care about her?"

Vana scoffed, glaring at the man, "We aren't blood related you buffoon! I am far more beautiful that she was anyway." Vana crossed his arms, resting against the window sill, "In any case, I just came to thank you. Now our plan can get back on track."

"Plan?" Lucy finally managed to speak properly, resting on her elbows while the rest of the feeling returned to her body, "What exactly are you up to?"

"Oops. Looks like I said too much." Vana smirked, winking at Lucy before he turned his back to them and vanished into thin air. The pressure in the room left and Lucy groaned, the weight that had been weighing down on her disappearing along with him.

"Lucy!" Laxus spun and dropped to one knee, his arms scooping her up gently so that she could rest against his chest, "Are you already?"

Lucy hummed when he buried a hand in her hair and nodded faintly, "I'm alright. But that was so weird..."

Laxus could only grunt in response, checking her over for injuries. But despite wanting to make sure that she was ok, his eyes kept getting drawn to the scar that showed above her top, "Lucy..."

His fingers absently brushed the raised skin and she shivered, biting her lip to stop any sound that wanted to escape.

"I'm sorry." If he wasn't holding her, Lucy was sure he would have punched himself.

"None of that mister Dragon Slayer. You're meant to be big and bad. Stop feeling guilt." Slowly, she managed to push herself upright, fighting down the blush that wanted to make itself known when she realised she already missed his touch.

"But... you're scarred-" He was stopped by a delicate finger across his lips, the blonde below him staring up from under her lashes.

"Scars are just another story to tell people about how I got where I am. I'm not weak. And I'm not scared about it either. The scars I've gotten, now and..." She paused, taking a deep breath before removing her hand and resting it on his chest, "And the scars I got while I was with Fairy Tail, I'm proud of them. They tell my story. All you did was add to it."

Her smile made his heart pound and he had to look away, busying himself with inspecting the thoroughly drenched curtains, "Whatever you say blondie. As long as you're okay."

Lucy just nodded and watched as he stood up to investigate the window. The rain didn't bother him, his clothes still drenched from when he arrived, "You should go have a shower Laxus. Before you get sick." She staggered up from the ground, using the dining chair to support herself.

"I don't even remember the last time I got sick." His sentence was punctuated by a sneeze and he whirled around to point an accusing finger at her, "And that didn't mean anything!"

All she could do was giggle at his antics and wave her hand at him, dismissing his words easily, "Sure, sure tough guy. Whatever you say."

Before long, he did end up taking a shower and Lucy could do nothing more than lye on the bed, thinking about everything that had happened in the past month.

"It's so crazy..." She rubbed the broken key she wore around her neck, avoiding the sharp edges, "To think, if I hadn't found him that night..."

She shivered at the thought and turn over, dragging the blanket with her. Just as she was dozing off, the bathroom door opened and a sneeze announced her partners presence, following by a curse.

"I told you you'd get sick." She smiled sleepily, not bothering to open her eyes as the bed compressed next to her.

"Shut up blondie." She didn't expect him to say anything else and quickly feel to sleep, not even feeling the gentle kiss on the top of her head, "Sleep well."

 **xXx The First Sin xXx**

 **And there you have the next chapter! Please let me know what you think! Do you like the idea of Lucy having a scar?**

 **Thank you to the following people for reviewing:**

 **Flamey Owl**

 **Desna**

 **Mill23**

 **BeautifulAstrology**

 **Bubblegumdrop1998**

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 **Kurahieiritr JIO**


	7. Off the Rails

**The First Sin**

 **Summary:** "My, my… She has such delicious thoughts… So envious. So much hate. It's the best thing I've ever tasted!" He ran his fingers through her hair, cradling her to his chest, "All alone. Abandoned. Your family stayed with you. While her family left." – Sent during the Guilds disbandment. LaLu and other couples.

 **Authors note:** Sorry it took a while to get this chapter out. Now that it's really getting into the thick of things! Everything is picking up and hopefully my personal life calms down so I can get the chapters going! Let me know what you think of the chapter!

 **Disclaimer:** I in no way own Fairy Tail! I do however own my own characters.

 **Arc:** Envy

 **Chapter 7:** Off the Tracks

"Damn it!" Laxus' bellow was punctuated by his sneeze, his growl drowned out only by him blowing his nose.

"I told you you'd get sick." Lucy snickered behind her book, her free hand rubbing at her scar,

But you wouldn't listen."

The Dragon slayer just glared down at her before glancing at her lap, a glint appearing in his eye that put her on edge, "I don't know what you're planning Laxus. But don't do it."

Lucy shifted away as best as she could, ignoring the way his husky voice raised goose bumps across her flesh, "Don't do what, Lucy. I'm not planning anything." He quickly followed his words by diving down onto her lap, his arms around her waist to keep her in place while he rubbed his face into her jeans.

" _Eew_. Laxus!" She screeched, pushing against his head in attempt to dislodge him, "You're going to get snot all over me!"

Laxus whimpered, making her freeze in her struggle, her book lying abandoned on the floor, "You could really push me away when I need you most? Not only am I sick, Lucy, but this stupid train makes me motion sick. If you did it for Natsu, you shouldn't have an issue helping me."

Lucy paled slightly before her cheeks coloured, her hand absently moving to brush her fingers through his hair, "Yeah, well... You're just lucky I feel guilty."

Laxus turned his head so he could look up at her, silently enjoying the pink that tinged her cheeks. Their eyes locked and he was blown away by the sincerity in them, his stomach tightening, "Why are you guilty?"

Lucy huffed before looking away, the corners of her mouth turned down as she spoke, "It's because of me that you're sick. Because of my lack of awareness, I couldn't tell that Vana was in the room. I didn't sense his magic at all." She carefully untangled his hair, pulling gently at his scalp.

"That is in no way your fault Lucy. I went out looking for him when he came to the door. I should have realised it was a ruse. _I_ shouldn't have left _you_ while you were still recovering." He twisted his body so that he could stare up at her, his hand gentle cupping her cheek, "I brought you into all of this. You are _my_ responsibility."

Lucy blinked, pressing the moisture from her eyes. But before she could rub the tear away, his thumb gently wiped it away, "Sorry." Her whisper only caused more tears to fall as she hunched over, burying her face in his chest, "I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm crying."

He could practically feel her desperation, her _sadness_ , leak from her and he wrapped his arms around her, chuckling softly, feeling her fingers still gently pulling at his spine.

"There is absolutely nothing to apologise for Lucy." He pressed his lips against the side of her head, his mouth open to speak when the overhead speakers crackled to life.

"Attention passengers. We will arrive at Oshibana station in the next few minutes. Please collect your luggage and prepare to depart the train."

The pair separated, Lucy desperately trying to clean her face with her sleeve. But what caught them off guard was when the speaker continued to crackle.

 _"What! Who are you? What -"_

A loud explosion shook the train and sent them to the ground. People throughout the carriage were screaming in fear. Despite it all, Lucy forced herself back up, conscious that the violent rocking of the train would have Luxas' stomach in knots.

"Laxus?" She carefully felt her way across the floor, thick black smoke filtering into their compartment from under their door, "Come on Laxus. You need to get up."

She was only met with a disgruntled moan and watched as the blonde dragon slayer heaved himself up, his face an incredibly unhealthy shade of green, "Go." He tried his best to sound commanding, but it only came out as a pathetic rasp of air. But Lucy nodded, jumping to her feet and forcing the door open. 

The explosion had warped the metal frame work of the train and the door rolled open with a horrible screech that had Laxus cursing from where he sat, "I'll be right back okay?"

Lucy didn't wait for a response, barrelling through the hallway as quickly as she could, ignoring the way the smoke burned her throat and made her eyes water, her hand doing little to protect her from its affects. Multiple scenarios ran through her head as she made her way through the carriages, always briefly checking for any major casualties. The sound of crying forced her to stop however and nothing could have prepared her for the sight that awaited her when she crouched down.

 _xXx The First Sin xXx_

"Lucy! _Lucy!"_ Laxus roared in frustration, doing his best to push himself forward, his nausea doing little to help him in the current situation, "Stubborn woman! What was I thinking?"

He coughed, his bones vibrating with the force. His illness had taken a nasty turn before they boarded the train and only served to make his temper worse. Fatigue had wormed its way into his muscles and made him sluggish, no matter how hard he tried to tap into his magic to give him a boost… it was always just out of his reach.

"Damn this to hell!" Laxus threw himself into the next carriage, gritting his teeth as his knees hit the ground. The metal continued to groan around him, even after he had felt it stop. There was no telling who was at fault or what exactly was going on, but he was determined to find out what happened and find Lucy. And he didn't have to look for long.

Despite the smoke and flames that would obscure a normal person's vision, Laxus' was sharp, the adrenaline forcing his flu away and honing all his senses. Even as the acrid smell burnt his nostrils he continued to sniff her out, the familiar scent of strawberries engrained in his memory. He wasn't too far from the entrance of the carriage next to where they had been seated when the smell hit him like a ton of bricks. The smell of charred flesh and strawberries. The combination made his stomach turn and he had to bite the inside of his cheek to avoid becoming sick.

He squinted through the haze, his eyes watering in his struggle to locate her. And when he did, his heart crumbled.

Lucy was crouched on the ground, her arms around her middle while her shoulders shook, seemingly taking no notice to the ruined carriage around her. But it was the source of her distress that made the state of the train disaster hit home.

Before Lucy was the corpse of a woman, impaled by shrapnel from the destroyed roof and the bundle of cloth next to her, a tiny hand poking out from with the charred blankets.

"Lucy…" Laxus slumped down next to the blonde, his arm circling her shoulders and pressing her into his chest, "Don't look at them Lucy. You don't need to see that."

She tried cried out, her voice raspy as she shook her head, tears instantly soaking his shirt, "How… H-How can I not see them. They were… They were just civilians. They were i-innocent! And now-!" She choked on her breath and Laxus could only hold her tighter.

"There's isn't anything we could have done." He pulled her up and away from the bodies, ignoring the moist warmth that had seemed through his pant leg and continued to drag his partner through the wreckage, looking for any path out while still looking for survivors, "You couldn't do anything for them Lucy. You-"

"But there was! I could have been stronger. I could have called Gemini out and had them turn into Wendy. I could… I should've… I-" Lucy choking again, only this time, it was because Laxus smothered her with his shirt. His chin rested on the crown of her head and he sighed, gently massaging her spine, feeling the way her body quivered against him.

" _Lucy…_ Beating yourself up over the what ifs' won't help you figure out what did this to them. The only thing we can do now is find survivors and find out what happened. Okay?" A watery yes answered him and he gently pushed her away, gazing down at her to see her drying her eyes.

"I'm sorry Lax-" She was cut short when he placed a finger on her lips and watched as he shook his head before he grabbed her hand and continued dragging her through the wreckage, keeping an eye out for dangling debris.

"Just shut it Blondie. You did what every other person in your situation would have done. So just keep your head down and focus. Someone caused this. They can't be too far away." His voice grounded her and Lucy nodded, steeling her nerves behind a rage she had building inside.

"Right. Stand aside Laxus." The slayer didn't even question her, instead, he let go of her and moved away, giving her what he deemed a safe amount of space. He could feel the magic gathering around her, banishing the smoke from the area and replacing it with a soft golden light. An invisible gale picked up and Lucy lifted a key from her pouch, "Star Dress: Cancer!"

The glow exploded and he could only watch as she landed gently on the ground, two long blades in her hands. The qipao had the mark of cancer etched into the fabric and the long billowing sleeves shifted around her in the wind.

"Well. It never ceases to surprise me." Laxus smirked at the blonde Celestial mage and watched her as she ran towards the rubble of the carriage, her blades slicing through everything with ease and clearing a path. In her havoc, she cut a hole clean through the side of the train, and fresh air rushed in, cleansing the air in the cart and allowed the sunlight to filter in an illuminate everything, "Great job Lucy!"

Laxus jumped forward, using the light he had to rummage through the rubble, "Lets get the injured out of here as quickly as we can."

Lucy appeared next to him, equipped with her Taurus Star Dress, the leather of her gloves creaking as she grabbed hold of a large piece of metal.

"Yeah. We'll get them out. Don't you worry about that."

 _xXx The Last Sin xXx_

 _The train crashed and Laxus has motion sickness coupled with the flu. And who crashed the train? You'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out!_

 _And a big thank you to the following people for reviewing the last chapter:_

Mill23

Desna

saskiarosee

VeryGood (anonymous)

BeautifulAstrology

LoadedEel

RosesMcKellar

Numious-Alqua

kurahieiritr JIO

SilverInu93


	8. Hate me, Break me

**The First Sin**

 **Summary:** "My, my… She has such delicious thoughts… So envious. So much hate. It's the best thing I've ever tasted!" He ran his fingers through her hair, cradling her to his chest, "All alone. Abandoned. Your family stayed with you. While her family left." – Sent during the Guilds disbandment. LaLu and other couples.

 **Authors note:** Sorry it took a while to get this chapter out. Now that it's really getting into the thick of things! Everything is picking up and hopefully my personal life calms down so I can get the chapters going! Let me know what you think of the chapter!

 **Disclaimer:** I in no way own Fairy Tail! I do however own my own characters.

 **Arc:** Envy

 **Previously:** _Laxus jumped forward, using the light he had to rummage through the rubble, "Lets get the injured out of here as quickly as we can."_

 _Lucy appeared next to him, equipped with her Taurus Star Dress, the leather of her gloves creaking as she grabbed hold of a large piece of metal._

" _Yeah. We'll get them out. Don't you worry about that."_

 **Chapter 8:** Hate me, Break me

They worked into the night to save as many people as they could. It had taken hours for the Rune Knights to arrive and take over the operation, and by the time the sun peaked over the horizon, Lucy and Laxus could barely move, fatigue taking hold of their muscles as day finally broke.

Lucy could feel her magic reserves running dangerously low and when she finally found a patch of grass away from the wreck to sit down she let go of her hold on her Taurus Stardress.

They were both covered in various cuts and scrapes, but they had gotten many of the passengers out. They hadn't been able to find any mages amongst the wreckage, despite how hard Laxus had tried to find them. He had ripped through to the drivers compartment on his own, only to discover the bodies of the train crew. It had left him rattled and he barely made it back to help Lucy with the image stuck in his head.

"We need to find the mages that did this…" She mumbled, struggling to stand from her place.

' _Lucy…'_

Her head snapped to the side, ears straining for the sound, "Laxus?" She whispered, so quietly she doubted she even spoke, but within moments the warm presence of the dragon slayer was at her back, his breath fanning across the top of her head, "Did you hear that?"

' _Come on Lucy…'_

Laxus stayed silent, staring unblinkingly into the forest before them. Shadows moved, drawing closer and then shifted away, growing longer and darker as the sun rose higher in the sky. The Rune Knights shouts became a dull roar in his ears.

' _Don't tell me you can't see me…'_

"Vana…" Laxus growled, standing from his place on the ground and hauling Lucy up with him, "This is his doing." Rage radiated from his body and Lucy could only pick up her pace to keep up with him, his hold on her arm bruising and painful.

"Do you know where he is?" She panted as she stumbled over a rock. He paused for only a moment to correct her before taking off again, vanishing into the shadows of the forest.

 **xXx The First Sin xXx**

Laxus blinked, groaning in pain as his head lolled to the side. He had a terrible pain between his shoulder blades and it was only when his eyes adjusted to the darkness that he realised he was being held up by chains, his toes barely skimming the floor beneath him. A dull pounding filled his head and he struggled; struggled against his bindings, against the pain he felt radiate through him, and to figure out how he ended up where he was.

" _Laxus! Slow down!"_

Lucy's voice rang through his head and he blinked, focusing on her voice.

" _Laxus! Stop!"_ He vaguely recalled the feeling of Lucy slipping through his fingers and Vana's egotistical laugh echoing through the forest.

" _So pitiful that you, the great and mighty Laxus, Lighting Dragon Slayer of the Thunder God Tribe, have failed again and again. And you've failed again."_

The words had been whispered in his ear and he barely recalled how the shadows had engulfed him, only the sound of Lucys' scream following him into the darkness.

"Dammit!" Laxus struggled, the fragments of his memory telling him all he had to know, "Lucy!" He looked around the dark chamber, neck straining as he tried to look over his shoulder. Only a stone wall stood behind him and he cursed, unable to see anything in front of him, "Lucy!"

"My, my… Aren't you the loud one in the morning." A chuckled rang through the room, echoing off the stone and grating on the blondes' ears.

"Fuck you." Laxus spat, his eyes narrowing as he watched the shadows shift, thickening until the vague outline of a man stood before him.

"How vulgar. You really shouldn't speak like that in front of a lady." Light suddenly filled the chamber and Laxus hissed, blinking against the pain. But when his brain registered the words of the man before him he growled, watching carefully as Vana stepped aside.

Lucy sat on the ground, her eyes staring forward unblinkingly and he felt his rage double, his muscles straining. He tried to draw on his magic, begging to his body to respond to him, but he was met with a hollowness that made him feel weak. And that only made him madder.

"Relax. I'm only tasting her for now. Seeing how deep I can go before I get to the best part." Vana brushed his fingers through Lucy's hair, stroking her face gently before placing his hands on her shoulders, "You see, I'm an illusionary mage. But, due to my family heritage, I can take it one step further. I can enter someone's mind, see their memories, and mould them to what I want them to see. I can take their worst fears and make someone lose themselves in their fears." He laugh, bending down so that he could talk straight into Lucy's ear, "And this beauty here has some lovely fears. I can taste them. My illusions become fantasy and I feed off them. I relish them. They get me going faster than any woman ever could. And Lucy here has been able to get me there faster than any other before her."

A whimper left the blonde woman's lips and Laxus froze.

"I am Vanagloria Infernos. The second youngest Infernos sibling. And I must thank you for giving me such a wonderful gift. Now watch as I enjoy her. Watch as I _break her._ " Vana smirked, green eyes sparkling with sinister intent.

"You tricked me you bastard!" Laxus growled, the chains tightening on his arms as he struggled. His magic refused to do anything as he roared, only noise leaving his throat, which was already raw from all his shouting that past day. He wanted to remember what had led them to being captured, but his main focus at present was to get his target enemy from Lucy, "Now let her go!"

Lucy shivered on the ground, her eyes staring unblinkingly back at him. A single tear fell from her eye and he felt his rage bubble over the surface as Vana cheered, his hands caressing her face while Laxus watched. The disgusting man leant down and licked the tear from the Celestial mages' cheek, moaning as he pulled away, moving around to stand in front of the blonde woman. Between her and Laxus.

"My, my! She has such delicious thoughts. Her envy, her hate… It's the best thing I've ever tasted!" He pulled her prone form from the floor and cradled it to his chest, his lips pressed to the crown of her head as he spoke, "All alone… _Abandoned…_ by her guild… her family." He hissed the words, his gaze full of glee as he looked over at Laxus, "Knowing that you left your team simply because they had your best interest at heart… it only pulled the wound open more. You watched her bleed and did nothing to help her. You still have your team, you always have."

Vana groaned, pressing his hips into Lucy, his face flushed, "But she _knew_ … always knew you had them. Your family stayed with you. Caring and loving _and waiting_. Always ready to welcome you home. How bitter you've made her."

Laxus growled, neck bulging under the strain of his struggle, "I never… I complained but-" He locked eyes with Lucy's vacant ones, "Lucy… Lucy! You aren't alone. I'm with you! You aren't alone anymore!"

Sweat drenched him, dripping from his hair down his face from his struggles, "You have me Lucy! I won't let you be alone anymore!"

A hint of light seemed to enter the blonde's eyes when Vana turned her head so he could whisper in her ear, just loud enough for Laxus' fine earing to pick up, "Lies Lucy. He doesn't even know what loneliness is! I mean, who _sacrificed'_ the most for the guild? Who _killed_ the one they saw as family for the guild? Who _murdered_ their spirit for the guild?" Lucy gasped, doubling over and only staying upright by Vana's hold, "They didn't even care that you were hurting! No one bothered to ask! _They left you alone…"_

Laxus bit back his worry, holding his questions for when he could get to Lucy, "No Lucy! Don't listen to him!" A spark jumped across his fingers, the chains on his arms flickering the colour of his magic, before they disappeared altogether, letting him drop to the floor. He took a deep breath as he rose from his crouch, focusing on the illusion around him and he roared, his magic dancing through the air, his blood boiling with rage. He had time for questions later, but his inner dragon was angry, and he was only too happy to answer its call for blood.

Vana jumped away, dropping Lucy like a sack of potatoes in his rush, his face going red as his own fear mixed with his pleasure when he saw the unmasked rage on the slayers face. "Now, no need to be so angry, even though it is absolutely delicious. I can taste it from here! It's beautiful."

Laxus growled, stalked forward towards the illusion mage. The move only caused Vana to pull on his hair, green eyes sparkling and unseeing as he moaned, "Let me enjoy this a moment more. It's amazing. Better than anything I've ever felt."

Vanas' words made Laxus pause for only a moment, his magic flaring around him, "Time's up." The lightning crackled loudly before an even louder boom echoed through the dungeon as Laxus' his power flared, making the room impossibly bright as his attack hit. Despite lightning being his element, even he was pushed back by the force of the blow, grabbing Lucy as she too was flung backwards and shielded her from the magic.

His back slammed into the wall, head cracking against the stone. But he couldn't help but feel relieved.

 **xXx The First Sin xXx**

 **And there ends the Envy Arc. I know it seems a little confusing, and I thought I may have rushed this chapter a bit, but I need it to be confusing, because it makes getting the answer so much more satisfying! Now, we will get all the answers soon, mostly in the next chapter in regards to Lucy and so force.**

 **So let me know what you thought. And also let me know if you want to know what Lucy was seeing while she was trapped in Vana's illusion!**

 **Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter:**

RosesMcKellar

BeautifulAstrology

Mill23

Desna

saskiarosee

Secret Companion

kurahieiritr JIO

love crimson red ray88


	9. Deepest Secret

**The First Sin**

 **Summary:** "I may not be strong. Definitely not as strong as some of the people I've had the chance to fight with. But I'll stay standing for as long as it takes to defeat you!" – Set during the Guilds disbandment. LaLu and other couples.

 **Authors note:** Sorry it took a while to get this chapter out. Now that it's really getting into the thick of things! Everything is picking up and hopefully my personal life calms down so I can get the chapters going! Let me know what you think of the chapter!

 **Disclaimer:** I in no way own Fairy Tail! I do however own my own characters.

 **Arc:** Wrath

 **Previously:** _Laxus growled, stalked forward towards the illusion mage. The move only caused Vana to pull on his hair, green eyes sparkling and unseeing as he moaned, "Let me enjoy this a moment more. It's amazing. Better than anything I've ever felt."_

 _Vanas' words made Laxus pause for only a moment, his magic flaring around him, "Time's up." The lightning crackled loudly before an even louder boom echoed through the dungeon as Laxus' his power flared, making the room impossibly bright as his attack hit. Despite lightning being his element, even he was pushed back by the force of the blow, grabbing Lucy as she too was flung backwards and shielded her from the magic._

 _His back slammed into the wall, head cracking against the stone. But he couldn't help but feel relieved._

 **Chapter 9:** Deepest Secret

The ground was cold under her when she finally came to. Her cheeks still damp from the tears she knew she'd cried. The illusion had been so real to her. It had played will her and pulled open wounds she had thought had healed long ago. She felt numb and she was sure if she wasn't she would feel incredibly violated.

She pressed her palms against the ground and forced herself up, squinting through the dim light, "Laxus?" Her voice just called back to her, echoing through the chamber, "Come on Lucy. Up you get."

Her legs felt like jelly under her and she staggered, moving forward carefully. She didn't make a sound, she barely ever took a breath as she listened, straining against the silence to hear her partner. It wasn't long before she heard a soft groan and she stilled, listening. It felt like an age to her before she finally heard it again and carefully guessed the direction the sound came from. Every time it sounded like if was further away, she re-adjusted her direction and tried again. And it was only after her seventh attempt to locate the hulking man that she finally stumble across him.

"Stardress: Leo." She pulled on her magic and felt the transformation take hold. She carefully focused her power on her hand and the light of Regulus lit the room. She silently scolded herself for not thinking of the idea sooner as she took in her partner. His clothes were charred and frayed but he was breathing. To her that was all that mattered.

' _They left you.'_ Vana's voice still echoed in her head and she bit her lip before summoning one of her spirits.

"Moo! Lucy! You don't look so great." Taurus' usual greeting deflated when he took in the dishevelled appearance of his master. They had all sensed her mental distress, but had been unable to get through their gates to help you.

"I know Taurus. Now I need you to grab Laxus so that we can get out of here." Lucy panted, feeling her magic drain much quicker than it was meant to, "I don't know how long I can keep you out for. My magic hasn't recovered since the train crash."

The Bull Spirit nodded and went about collecting the overly muscled man from the floor, "I did this not too long ago for this guy." Taurus laughed, taking Laxus' weight onto his shoulder.

"And you treated him like a sack of potatoes back then too." Lucy laughed, brightening the light enough to take in the chamber around them properly.

The cave walls were damp and covered in moss and mould, even the air was heavy with the smell of it. A small section of the far wall was darker than the rest of the cave and Lucy approached it cautiously, holding her glowing hand close to it.

"Over here Taurus. Though it'll be a bit of a squeeze for you…" Lucy could feel the sweat drip down her neck at the idea of having to pull Laxus through the hole on her own but she couldn't see any way around it without giving up her light.

"I understand Lucy. Why don't you try fuse Stardresses? Mine with Leo's." Taurus' words struck a cord with her and she blinked, staring between her spirit and her glowing hand.

"You think I could?" She flexed her fingers, drawing on more of her magic.

"I think so. The others spirits thought so a while ago when you achieved Second origin but no one ever had a reason to tell you." Taurus put Laxus down against the wall before saluting, "Now you take care of the fine body of yours!"

And with a wink he was gone and his glow flew to her and enveloped her. Everything on her changed to the Taurus Star Dress, shorts and all, but her hand remained glowing. The two Celestial magics mixed with her own and she smiled, "Thank you Taurus."

With the strength of Taurus she easily manoeuvred Laxus behind her, easing him through the opening. She shuffles for minutes, constantly stopping to adjust the blond man's head to stop him from getting scratched up or getting stuck. But when she finally broke into another chamber she fell out of the crevice, taking deep breaths before pulling Laxus out after her. She settled him against her shoulders, taking his weight easily before she continued making her way along.

"Great. Just how big is this place?" She brightened her Regulus light, showing just how expansive the cavern they were in was. The couldn't even see the ceiling of it, stalactites and glow worms making it look like a starry sky above her. A small brook trickled past her feel and she followed it. Outside her light it was completely black and she dared not wander too far from the water, relying on her sense of hearing to guide her to safety.

The small brook let to a stream and then an underground river. Lucy kept following the flow of the water, even when she felt her magic get dangerously low. It was only when she reached a small spring connected to the river that she found a smooth patch of ground. She carefully lowered her partner to the ground and with the last of her magic, released her Star Dress and called Virgo through her gate.

"Punishment Princess?" The maid spirit bowed, not bothered by the darkness the lack of Regulus has plunged the cave into.

"No. Virgo. Never punishment. I need you to get me something for light and warmth. And some bandages for Laxus. Thing you can help me out with that?" The pinkette gave her master a stern look before nodding and vanishing in a puff of smoke, and with her disappearance, so too vanished what little light she had also emitted. Lucy sighed into the darkness, feeling the heat radiate of the blonde man next to her. She didn't have to wait long before Virgo returned though, and knew instantly that the Maid had returned on her own power.

As per true form, Virgo had a small site set up in minutes. A small fire was burning in the middle of their makeshift campsite, with two tall torches making a small perimeter. Even wool from Ares had been brought along to make a soft place to sit or sleep for them. Virgo even started bandaging the blonde Slayer, taking care to wrap gauze around his head and to clean his wrists. Illusions Vana had cast, but they had been able to inflict real damage on them. It was something that made Lucy shiver.

"I have also gathered a small meal for you and Master Laxus to have. You must keep your strength up. You are about half a days walk from the surface from here, but you are in no danger in the caves here." Virgo bowed, the chains on her wrists clinking together, "Will that be all Princess?"

The blonde woman could feel the sweat drop down her neck at how thorough her spirit was, "That's all Virgo. Thank you so much."

Virgo disappeared without a sound and Lucy pulled the sleeping man to the pile of wool, allowing him to sink into the makeshift bed first before she claimed a corner for herself. The basket of food Virgo had brought was filled with cold cuts and trails rations. As well as enough water to last them till they left the cave, "Oh Virgo. You've done it again." Lucy shook her head and pulled out some of the food her spirit had left them, as well as getting out some water for Laxus. He would be hungry when he woke up.

She munched for a while in silence, listening to the soft breathing of her partner. She wasn't even sure how long she had been down in the cave either, not even Horologium could tell her properly. It was only when Laxus groaned that she snapped to attention, shaking of the drowsiness that had tried to lull her to sleep. She crawled to kneel beside him, holding her breath when she saw his eyes pinch.

A groan left his lips and one of his hands rose to his head, carefully feeling the lump under the bandages. She giggled when he huffed, still not opening his eyes, "Come on sleepy head. You need to eat."

His eyes flew open, his mouth working without sound as he took in the sight of her. He shot up, their foreheads colliding with a hollow thud and they both grunted, holding their heads in their hands, "Well that didn't help my headache…"

Lucy laughed despite the pain in her head and grabbed a bottle of water for the man, watching as he stared at it dumbly, "This is water Laxus. You drink it."

His cheeks coloured in the firelight and he snatched the bottle from her, taking a large drink from it, "Haha. Very funny Blondie. Where are we?" He looked around, his keen sight taking in things beyond that light that she couldn't see.

"We're still in the cave Vana had us in. I only had enough magic to get us out of the chamber and have Virgo set up this small camp for us. But we should be able to rest comfortably for a little, Virgo said there was no danger in these caves. And that it's about half a days walk out, so we need our rest." Lucy rubbed the back of her head before carefully reaching out to touch his head. Her fingers grazed the white bandage, noticing the small blood stain that had already formed on it, "But that's beside the point. Are you okay?"

He stared at her incredulously, his hand flying up to grab her wrist and pull her hand from his head, "Am I okay?"

His words were whispered, the disbelief in his voice almost tangible as he looked at her wide eyed. She just nodded at him, her eyes flicking between his and the bandage on his head.

"I only took a little beating. Nothing my body won't heal. But… Lucy…" He took a deep breath, his free hand cupping her face, "Lucy. He was in your head. He toyed with you in a way no one should be able to, or allowed to do. I should be the one asking if you're okay."

She looked away from him, unable to take the worry in his eyes, "I mean. It wasn't easy. And he brought up things I thought I'd gotten over… but… I'm still alive right?"

The look she gave him made his breath catch and he pulled her to him with a gentle tug. She fell into his chest easily and he wrapped his arms around her, cradling her against him. The tears in her eyes had pulled at his heart in a way he never wanted to feel again. The violent tightening in his chest made him feel sick and all he wanted to do was make it go away.

"What did he show you Lucy? You can talk to me." He whispered into her hair, gently rocking them on the spot.

A shuddering breath was quickly followed by a sniffle and she laughed, "You'll think half of it's stupid."

Her words made him shake his head and he gently pushed her away so that he could look at her, carefully wiping away her tears, "Nothing you say is stupid Lucy. Especially if it's about the way you feel."

Lucy smiled, allowing her mind to take her back to what Vana had made her think of, of the memories he had twisted for his own sick pleasure, "He… he went into my memories. All the way back to my childhood. You see… I didn't have it as easy as everyone thinks I did as an heiress. And after my mother died, my father focused on my education and training to be a lady. There was one time, when I was a kid, I made a rice ball for my father, which he promptly threw it back at me, he said he was too busy or something. But I heard Vana. He said my father never cared. And just wanted to marry me off. I knew it was a lie, at first. But then the memories kept coming. Like when…"

She took a breath and he shifted them, shaking her out of her thoughts, "Like when Phantom Lord attacked. When I was captured, Jose had Gajeel beat me to within an inch of death-"

"He what?" Laxus growled low in his throat and Lucy pushed away enough to pull her shirt up to just under her breasts. She carefully pulled his hands from her and placed them on her ribs, letting him feel the scars that marred her flesh.

"It was before he was part of Fairy Tail of course. But it didn't take the memories away. And it was before Wendy joined too, so she couldn't heal me. And I heard Vana in the memory too. He said I deserved it. I deserved what I got because I was weak. Because I was a burden on the guild. I remember always being haunted by those thoughts. Of just being a replacement. Of dragging everyone down. I mean, I was meant to be on Fairy Tail's strongest team. And yet I wasn't anywhere near the level of those around me." Lucy took a deep breath, shivering at the feel of his fingers ghosting over her flesh, "There were other memories. Others that he pulled up. But none as bad…"

He waited patiently for her to continue, watching her like a hawk as she reached in her top and pulled out a long chain, a broken key resting on the end, "During Tartarus… Horologium's' emergency mode activated and saved me from being turned into… the muscle of the cube. But they knew I was still around and I got surrounded by demons. They just kept showing up. I tried to call out my spirits, but Virgo and Loke got hurt. And I was running out of magic. I knew I didn't have much left but I still tried to someone another spirit. I thought I was done for when Aquarius showed up. But not even she stood a chance against the demons…"

She sobbed, clutching the key so tightly that she drew blood, "She told me… s-she told me to summon the Celestial Spirit King… T-that I had to break… That I had to _willingly_ break our contract so that he could be summoned." With a shuddering breath she continued, "So I did. It was the most painful thing… I have and _will_ ever have to do. She had tried to act cold. But I knew she was hurting too…"

"Lucy…" His breath ghosted across her face and she closed her eyes.

"I could hear Vana then too. He said she was happy to be gone. That all my spirits wished they could be done with me. That they wanted to leave me like the rest of Fairy Tail did when the guild disbanded. He said I was always meant to be alone. That it's what I deserve. And in a way, he was right when he said I was jealous. Natsu left with Happy. Mira has her siblings. You had your team… And I was left to pick up the pieces…"

"But Lucy…" His cupped her chin and turned her to look at him. Her eyes had turned amber in the fire light and he felt his heart stutter, "Lucy… You aren't alone anymore…"

He closed the distance between them, "I'll make sure you never have to be alone again."

Their breaths mingled and Lucy smiled, "You promise?"

"Always…" And he pressed his lips to hers.

 **XXx The First Sin xXx**

 **And there it was! It happened! The thing happened with the lips and the kissing and the cliff hangers! OMG! I wanted to write that for so long now! (*jumps up and down*) You don't know how excited I am that the romance is happening!**

 **Anyway! Let me know what you think and leave me a review please! A major shout out to the following people for reviewing the last chapter as well:**

 **saskiarosee**

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 **xoxi**


	10. Lost and Found

**The First Sin**

 **Summary:** "I may not be strong. Definitely not as strong as some of the people I've had the chance to fight with. But I'll stay standing for as long as it takes to defeat you!" – Set during the Guilds disbandment. LaLu and other couples.

Authors note: Sorry it took a while to get this chapter out. Now that it's really getting into the thick of things! Everything is picking up and hopefully my personal life calms down so I can get the chapters going! Let me know what you think of the chapter!

 **Disclaimer:** I in no way own Fairy Tail! I do however own my own characters.

 **Arc: Wrath**

 **Previously:**

" _But Lucy…" His cupped her chin and turned her to look at him. Her eyes had turned amber in the fire light and he felt his heart stutter, "Lucy… You aren't alone anymore…"_

 _He closed the distance between them, "I'll make sure you never have to be alone again."_

 _Their breaths mingled and Lucy smiled, "You promise?"_

" _Always…" And he pressed his lips to hers._

 **Chapter 10:** Lost and Found

He couldn't quite believe what he was doing. Not only had Lucy now saved him twice, but he was actually kissing her. Usually, he only went after a woman to satisfy his own needs, but feeling her skin against his had a fire burning in his belly, the smoke of it making his mind grow hazy. The silence of the cave around them disappeared between their breathes and wet kisses.

Her fingers curled into his hair and pulled, and he gave in and shifted away, allowing her to breathe again while he moved his attention to the column of her neck. Quiet mewls fell from her lips, her cheeks flushed, and eyes half lidded. Her gaze made his blood boil and he groaned, biting the junction of her neck. His fingers ghosted over her skin, making her squirm under him.

"Damn Lucy." his voice was deep and husky, making her eyes glaze over.

"Laxus..." She shifted, using her grip on his head to pull him down to her, the weight of him pressing against her flesh made her warm, warmer than she had ever felt before. But before she could say anything else, he sealed his lips to hers again, grinding his hips into her. She gasped, a spark setting off an inferno that engulfed her. He took the chance to slip his tongue into her mouth, prodding at her and groaning at the sweetness he tasted. He wanted to keep going, his fingers itching to explore everything that was the Celestial Mage beneath him, but he sighed, pulling away from her slowly only to laugh when she let out a dejected mewl and tried to pull him back down to her.

"No more Lucy." His voice was serious, and he realised how it must have sounded when her eyes shot open, panic sparkling in the honey depths. He soothed her with a quick peck before sitting up, pulling her up with him, "No more _now_ Lucy. If we keep going... Well, I don't want anything happening in a strange cave. You deserve better than that."

She flushed again at his words and turned her head away from him, her hands twisting together in her lap, "Oh. I get it." Her shame drowned out any desire she had felt and her eyes stung, the tell-tale sign of her impending tears, "I understand."

He sniffed, turning to face her on their plush, makeshift bed, "Lucy?" The blonde woman refused to turn to him and he grunted, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her into his lap with ease, "What's wrong?" He nuzzled her neck with his nose, taking in the sweetness that clung to her natural scent. The subtle strawberry enhanced by the fruits she's eaten while he was asleep.

She took a shaky breath, trying to calm herself down, but being in his arms made it nearly impossible, her emotions creating chaos within her, "Nothing. I'm fine..."

"Blondie..." He growled, the vibration passing through her and making her gasp. He hooked a finger under her chin and lifted her head, his eyes narrowing at the sign of wetness on her cheeks. She tried her best not to look at him, but his very presence demanded her attention, "Tell me what's wrong."

He wasn't giving her an option and she let out a choked sob, feeling her vision fail as her eyes filled with tears, "I'm just being... ah. I guess I just have doubts." She sniffed, her hands fisting in his shirt, "I mean. My first kiss was probably far from the best you've had. And I jumped right into it... You probably think I'm easy..."

At her words he couldn't stop that laugh that left his lips, "Easy? You?" Another bout of chuckles forced him to push her away lest he crush her to his chest, "You know there was a time where the guys in the guild called you a prude, right?"

Her face flamed with indignation and she crossed her arms over her chest, turning away from him. But he didn't let her hide, his hand gently caressing the side of her face, "But you just cherished something the others didn't. You wanted to wait till you were ready. And there is nothing wrong with that."

Mouth open, she could only stare wide eyed at him, shock written all over her face. He pulled her closer, leaning down to press his lips to hers. He could hear her heart pound in her chest, echoing in his ears like a war drum. Their lips moved together, slowly, not as heated as before, and yet they enjoyed it just the same. When Laxus finally pulled away, he smirked at her flushed face and half lidded eyes, his hands buried in her hair.

"I know my past with women isn't great, and probably doesn't put me in the best light, but with you..." He looked away, trying to find the right words to use, "With you I want to take my time. I want to learn everything there is about you. How that brain of yours work. I want to memorise your body and what sets you off. And I won't rush you. But it will happen. Got it?" He smirked, and she couldn't help but grin, contentment settling in her chest.

"But what if... I did want to rush things?" Her words made him groan and he pulled her against his chest, slamming his lips onto hers. She responded instantly, arching her back so that her hips could press into his, but before he could get carried away, he pulled back, resting his forehead on hers.

"You may feel that way, especially if you've waited so long to be treated like the goddess you are, but we're going to make sure we do the right thing. Like your morals tell you to." Lucy giggled, giving him a quick peck before lying her head on his chest. Taking it as a sign of her agreement, he laid them down, cradling her in his arms, their legs intertwined among the wool.

"We should get some sleep. We have a long walk out of here." He felt her nod against his chest and sighed, his own happiness bubbling in his chest, "Goodnight Blondie."

"Night Sparky..."

 **xXx The First Sin xXx**

The walk out of the cave had taken them longer than they had expected, with them stopping for multiple rests along the way. So when they finally got to the outside world, the sun had already painted the sky orange and purple, signalling the end of the day.

"We made it!" Lucy jumped the distance between the cave mouth the the closest patch of grass, basking in the sunlight that filtered through the forest canopy.

Laxus could only lean against the rocky wall, his arms crossed as he watched her. The sun glinted off her in just the right way, making her skin glow, the iridescence dazzling him.

"Come on Laxus!" Lucy smiled at her, holding out her hand to him, "Let's go home."

His heart skipped a beat before he stepped forward, his long legs carrying him quickly across the distance between them, "Yeah Blondie. Let's go home." He took hold of her hand and pulled her to him, holding her to his chest a second before his lightning crackled around him, and before she could tell him not to, they were airborne, travelling through the sky so quickly she couldn't see anything. She felt disjointed, like she was everywhere and nowhere all at once. And when she thought she was finally understanding the feeling that came with being transported by lightning, they hit the ground, a deafening boom resonating in her ears.

Her legs threatened to buckle, only Laxus' strong grip keeping her upright. Everything spun and the blonde man could only laugh at the dazed expression on her face.

"Come on Blondie. It wasn't the first time you travelled with me like that." He smirked at the pout she gave him and and struggled in vain to get out of his arms.

"Yeah... well. Looking after your sorry ass isn't exactly easy you know. My magic was almost completely depleted by the time you woke up." A jolt of guilt hit her and she looked up at him, "I'm sorry. That wasn-"

He stole her breath with a kiss, his tongue prodding for entrance. And she gave in with a moan, all thoughts of removing herself from his hold forgotten as she sagged, her hands twisted in his shirt.

"Laxus?"

The sudden voice shocked the pair and the blonde man turned, tucking Lucy behind him, " _Ever_? What are you doing here?"

At his question, Lucy finally took stock of where they were standing. The street was small, more of an alley that a common thoroughfare with house on either side a few storeys tall.

"We've been coming by your place for weeks now waiting to see if you'd come back. And when I heard the thunder I thought you were here... And well. You are." Evergreen snapped her fan open, the small wind making her hair flutter around her face, "And not alone either."

The accusation stunned him for only a moment before anger took control, the vein in his neck bulging, "And you lot just carried on without me! Why would I stick around here with nothing to do?"

The brunette glared back at him, adjusting her glasses on her nose, "We had no choice, you know that. Master Bob isn't to be crossed, just like your Grandfather. And considering he sent us personally, we couldn't refuse." She huffed, snapping her fan shut, "In any case, you should head upstairs. Freed and Bix will probably be over soon, they likely heard the thunderclap too."

He hated to admit it, but he knew she was right. With a heavy heart, he sighed and pulled his keys from his coat pocket before holding the door open for Lucy, allowing her to enter before stepping into the threshold, "Are you coming in too Ever?"

Evergreen hummed before shaking her head, staring at him from the corner of her eye, "No. I think I'll wait for the others. If Freed walked in there and saw Lucy he'd probably have a heart attack."

Nodding at her words he walked up the stairs, watching as Lucy fidgeted by the door at the top of the stairwell, "Don't worry so much Blondie. It's just my team."

"But they'll figure out that you went after the Infernos guild. And they know Master Bob ordered you not to proceed with the mission." Her hands twisted around each other, "And then they'll blame me."

Once he opened the door, he turned to her and gently placed a hand on her head, "Don't worry that pretty little head of yours Lucy. I would have gone with or without you. That fact that you tagged along, after knowing that my team and I were beaten, will make them appreciate that you were with me. You're stronger than you think Lucy, considering you did what the Thunder Tribe couldn't do."

Her jaw dropped after hearing what he had to say about her, eyes wide in disbelief. She didn't even have a chance to respond when he cupped her cheek and sealed his mouth over hers, drawing a quiet moan from her when his tongue invaded her mouth.

He pulled away, both panting, and the heated look in his eyes had her knees turn to jelly, "We have to stop or else the guys will walk in on me ravaging you against the wall." She let out a tiny squeak of embarrassment before bustling into the apartment, not looking back at him as his chuckle reached her ears.

The apartment was bigger than hers, with an open living and kitchen area and a small hallway with two doors leading off from it. Everything was white, from the walls to the cabinets. Even the floor had a faded stain to it. Only his furniture had colour, the typical bachelor furniture of black leather couches and furnishings.

"Do you like it?" He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her flush against him. But his question only made her laugh and she strained to look over her should at him, her neck aching from the angle she had to look up at him.

"We may need to do a little refurnishing, but it's a nice place. Bigger than mine that's for sure." She wiggled out of his arms to walk into the kitchen area, her hands skimming the surface of the counter, "Obviously better quality too. You wouldn't think this apartment was even here from the alley."

"Exactly why I got it. But then Freed followed me home one day. And the next morning, low and behold, the lot of them were up here." He laughed at the memory, collecting glasses from the cupboards and pouring water into each one.

"Let me guess. Freed was worried because you'd been drinking, am I right?" Her raised eyebrow earned her nothing but a smirk from the man and she silently thanked him for the glass that he handed her, "This whole, meeting with your team thing, it's not going to go smoothly, is it?"

He walked over the the couch, pondering her question as she sat beside him, "Well... they won't be happy for a number of things. The first would likely be that I've been away for two months. The other would be the way I snapped at them before taking off that night you found me. And they'll likely have heard about the Infernous Siblings disappearances from the Council, considering they were part of the main team to be sent on the mission. And I'm still active on it, so any updates would have passed to them. I think that's what they'll be the most upset about. You and I on the other hand... It's Freed we probably have to worry about."

Laxus did little to calm her nerves, her hands sweating so much she needed to put her glass down or risk having it slip from her grip.

"Boss man! You're back!" Bixlow's voice boomed through the apartment suddenly, the door slamming into the wall with enough force the crack the plaster. Lucy jumped, quickly sliding across on the sofa to make space for the Seith Mage, who had already stepped one leg over the backrest. He sat down before wrapping an arm across Laxus' shoulders, his babies floating one either side of the pair.

"Fuck off Bix." Laxus quickly removed the man's arm before glaring at him, "And where I was really isn't your business."

"Aw. Don't be like that boss. You know, you had Ever and Freed worried." The matter of fact tone he used was so unlike him that Lucy had to bite back a laugh.

"Shut up. I wasn't worried at all. I was frustrated with how you and Freed wouldn't shut up about him!" The tell-tale snap of her fan signalled her irritation and Lucy looked over her shoulder to see Ever enter the apartment.

"Really Evergreen. You've been sour because both he and Elfman were away. Don't take your bitterness out on us." Freed entered after her and his gaze caught Lucy's. Brown clashed with blue and a tension formed in that room that hadn't been there before, "I hadn't expected you to have been with someone upon your return Laxus. Let alone with Lucy."

A strange sting hit her and she turned away from the green haired man, trying to decipher his words when Bixlow spoke up, "Not cool Freed. Laxus has always thought of her as hot. If he did score he achieved something no one bet on. Man, Cana would be so made she bet against them."

Lucy stared between Bixlow and Laxus, eyes wide with horror, "Bet? What bet?"

"Nothing Lucy. It's nothing. They're just being idiots." Laxus tried to calm her down, his eyes holding a spark of panic, but Bixlow's babies wouldn't allow him to rise from his seat.

"Don't be dumb Laxus. Everyone in the guild was in on it since they heard about the ultimatum you gave the guild during the Phantom attack." Evergreen sat down on the opposite couch and Lucy could only turn to stare at the brunette.

"What did he say? What bet are they talking about?" Lucy knew the brunette would tell her, especially after Lucy had been the first to forgive her after the Thunder Palace incident.

"Laxus, before he started changing, said he would help on the condition that you became his. At the time, Mira and Cana were furious. But afterwards, when Laxus was allowed back into the guild, Cana made a betting pool over whether you would get together. You were being very friendly with him. I said it was simply you being welcoming and trying to make him feel comfortable. Laxus laughed and bet against it. Everyone did. Only Wendy and Mira said it had a chance of happening. And even then they agreed it would just be a one night stand." Ever closed her hand and laid her hands on her knees, leaning closer to the blonde woman.

"Ever. Don't..." Laxus' warning fell on deaf ears and he could feel the terror crawl through his body at what the brunette was about to tell the blonde.

"So Laxus made a counter bet. If he ever did manage to get with you for a night, he'd win the money for both sides of the bet. Guess you've just made him richer Lucy." The brunette leant back against the couch and watched Lucy process her words, ignoring the glare for the Thunder Dragon.

"That was months ago Ever. And you know I was drunk!" He thundered at his team, worry eating away at him. He craned his neck so that her could see Lucy over Bixlow's head, "Lucy. I swear... Maybe before I left the guild I would have been like that... But afterwards..." His words caught in his throat when he saw her smile at him, the rage he expected to see nowhere in sight.

"I know Laxus. Despite what everyone thinks, I've come to know who you are. Everyone is just upset and jealous. They've been worrying about you probably since the day you came back from the ambush and you were banned from continuing the request. They love you Laxus. And when they couldn't help you or find you, they needed to blame someone. I just happen to have been that someone." Her smile turned sad and she stood, giving them all a quick wave before heading for the door.

"Lucy..." Laxus didn't know what to do. His team had said some horrible things to the blonde woman, and yet all she had done was taken it all in stride, "Where are you going?"

Lucy paused in the entrance of the apartment, the door handle held tightly in her hands. She glanced over her shoulder, the sadness in her eyes making his heart clench, "I'm going to go for a walk... And maybe get a room at an inn."

She grinned, but after having travelled with her for a time, he could tell just how forced it was, "Bye now!"

And with that, she left, closing the door behind her.

 **xXx The First Sin xXx**

 **Thank you for reviewing that last chapter, it really means a lot to be that you guys take the time out of your day to tell me your thoughts! It's helps me get through and write the chapter. So a special shout to all those that left a review for chapter 9!**

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	11. An Explosive Encounter

**The First Sin**

 **Summary:** "I may not be strong. Definitely not as strong as some of the people I've had the chance to fight with. But I'll stay standing for as long as it takes to defeat you!" – Set during the Guilds disbandment. LaLu and other couples.

 **Authors note:** I found my USB with my chapters! I'm in the middle of moving houses and works super busy coming up to the Christmas period. But here it is! I'm hoping to have some others for Made for Him and Contracted posted up shortly as well! Sorry it took so long!

 **Disclaimer:** I in no way own Fairy Tail! I do however own my own characters.

 **Arc:** Wrath

 **Previously:**

 _Lucy paused in the entrance of the apartment, the door handle held tightly in her hands. She glanced over her shoulder, the sadness in her eyes making his heart clench, "I'm going to go for a walk... And maybe get a room at an inn."_

 _She grinned, but after having travelled with her for a time, he could tell just how forced it was, "Bye now!"_

 _And with that, she left, closing the door behind her._

 **Chapter 11:** An Explosive Encounter

She crossed her arms in an effort to ward off the chill, shuffling down a dimly lit street, not really paying attention to where she was going. Lucy knew she was being foolish, and should have gone into one of the many inns with vacancies that she had passed, but her mind had rebelled, and her feet betrayed her. The sun had long since set over the small home town of the the Blue Pegasus guild, and she had seen more than a hand full of mages making their way home. Some had even offered to shelter her, but she had refused them all and continued on her way.

"Come on Lucy." She tried to cheer herself up, but the gloom the hung over her refused to move, "They just needed an outlet... that's all." Even as she spoke the familiar sting in her eyes let her know she wasn't fooling herself, "Damn it!"

The pang of loneliness hit her hard, the residual emotions from Vana's manipulation still haunted her. She staggered to a seat, her head in her hands. Each vision played before her eyes, enhanced with the voices that had stung her only a few hours before but before she could dwell on them, fingers twisted in her hair and she gasped, feeling her neck strain at the angle she was forced to look up from.

"Aw. Is the poor little princess sad? Is she suffering?" The brightest blue eyes she had ever seen glared down at her and her throat worked without sound. The hand tightened in her hair before she was thrown from the seat, "Good! Suffer like he suffered!"

The unbridled rage in the woman's voice made something click in Lucy's head and she pushed herself off the ground, her fingers reaching for her keys. But before she could even brush them, a sharp pain spread through her side, heat searing her flesh without sound or light. Choking back a gasp of pain, Lucy staggered to her feet, her uninjured hand flying to her waist. Her eyes widened when the felt the warmth bleed through her fingers and she could only stare at the red head before her.

"Who are you?" Another flash of pain drove her back against a wall of a house, "Why are you doing this?"

"Why?" The woman laughed, a deep, wicked sound as her fingers clicked, sending Lucy straight into the ground, her shoulder bleeding freely, "Because you took the one I care about. You took _my_ Vana away from me!"

Lucy vaguely heard the distinct sound of clicking as pain surged through her, from her waist to her shoulders to her feet. Every nerve in her body radiated pain as easily as the sun gave off heat and she prayed for her body to finally hit the ground, the memory of Minerva and Jackals' magic coming to the forefront of her mind. She coughed, back slamming into a bench before she slid off it, her head hitting the ground, no one around the catch her fall this time around.

Shouts echoed in the distance, the locals likely having called in the fight. No matter how one sided it was. The attacks were soundless, the only thing giving it away was the way Lucy screamed and collided with objects throughout the street. Again, the woman twisted her hand in Lucy's hair, and the angle allowed Lucy to brush against her keys.

"Well you little tramp. What do you have to say? Are you sorry yet!" She lifted her other hand, fingers poised to click when Lucy gave her a bloody smile, "What are you so happy about?"

"Open... Gate of... the lion. Leo..."

The sound of a bell rang out and Loke appeared in a flash of light, his fist already alight and connecting with the woman's face.

" _ **Stay away from my Princess**_." Loke seethed, standing over the injured blonde who crumpled to the ground without support.

"You-" Something over Loke's shoulder had her freeze before a smirk stole across her face, "No problem. I'll deal with her later. Remember the name Ira Infernos. Because I'll come after her and make her pay for what she did to Vana!"

Ira, in all her rage and previous attacks, vanished in a loud explosion of smoke and light.

Sensing the threat was gone, Loke quickly shifted to kneel beside his master, gingerly pulling her up and into his lap, wincing at the pained groan that left her.

"Oh Lucy... what were you thinking being out alone? Until they're gone you can't be so defenceless." The reprimand was softened by the way he whispered, his hand gently sweeping her matted hair away from her face.

"Gu-guess I'm still not back to normal after... after what he did..." She coughed and the sight of the blood dripping down her chin had him frantic.

"Lucy!" The sudden shout had his head snapping up and the familiar blonde-haired man had him growling. He stood quickly, careful of how tightly he held the Celestial mage.

Laxus sprinted down the street, the rest of his team following close behind him. If Loke had been calmer he would have seen the panic and concern in his eyes, but he was beyond reasoning.

"Don't come any closer!" Loke yelled, turning so he could shield Lucy with his body.

"W-what!" Laxus stopped regardless of his concern, shocked at the way Loke spoke to him, "Why? Is Lucy okay? We got a call from the Knights saying there was an attack…"

"Okay? You heard from the Knights about the damn fight. So you tell me, do you think she's _okay_ if I have to hold her?" Loke seethed, glaring at Laxus before he turned to face him, finally allowing them to see the poor blonde woman.

"Oh Mavis. Lucy..." Evergreen gasped, her eyes glistening with tears at the sight of her ex-guildmate, previous hate gone.

"What on-" Freed started, his eyes evaluating the scene before him quickly, "Blood splatter. Which would mean each attack had force. Explosion magic by the looks of it… Considering what an attack like that can do would mean this was a calculated attack..."

"It was. You can thank Ira Infernos for this." Loke turned on his heel, ignoring the rapid breathing of the lightning slayer, determining the fastest route to the closest hospital.

"Another sibling? How did they find her?" Laxus took a few steps forward, ignoring the warning look he got from the spirit.

"Likely the same way Vana first found you two in the room you rented. You knew they could track you two. Considering the fact that you only got rid of two of them with Lucy's help, they knew she was a threat. And with their desire for revenge, they knew she was the perfect target..." Loke sighed, weary of his rage, "I warned her this was bound to happen. That this is what would happen when she helped you."

"And just what do you mean by that?" Laxus slashed his hand through the air, the veins in his neck bulging.

"I mean that she would get hurt. Both physically and mentally. But she was desperate for an escape that she would risk her life for someone that didn't spare her a second glance while Fairy Tail was still around." Loke gave his master a tender look before continuing down the road, his shoes clacking along the path, "I have no proof that your feelings for her are genuine, especially after letting her out of your sight. You need to get your priorities straight."

 **xXx The First Sin xXx**

Laxus paced his living room for the third day in a row. He had chewed his nails to nothing and had barely eaten, despite Freed threatening to strap him down and force feed him. He had been barred from Lucy's hospital room by her spirits, those who were strong enough to be out on their own anyway. The times he wasn't pacing he was either sleeping or hunting down the Infernos sibling that had attacked his blonde partner.

"Laxus. This really isn't healthy." The blonde stopped dead, spinning to face those in his doorway.

"Did you find anything?" He completely bypassed their question, his eyes glued to the stack of papers in their hands.

With a sigh Evergreen entered the room, placing the pages down on the couch, "We got what we could with what little information we had. I'm surprised Loke gave us anything to work with at all."

"He's worried about Lucy, and royally pissed off at Laxus, us by relation. But he wants to make sure cheerleaders safe." Everyone just blinked at Bixlow, not even his babies repeating his nickname for Lucy.

"Bix... are you alright?" Freed shifted away from the Sieth mage while he waited for an answer, carefully edging into the room.

"Hey. I can be serious. And Lucy was the first one to not only beat me in a fight, but actually be nice to me after Fantasia... I want the bitch that hurt her caught." Bixlow removed his helmet and they could all see the stern set of his face easy as he entered the apartment.

"You know... In our encounters, Lucy was the brains finding these guys. And I think her actions resulted in their defeat both times too... she saved me both times on top of it all. And when she needed me..." Laxus let out an aggravated groan and sat down roughly on the couch, causing some of the papers to flutter onto the floor, "Anyway, what exactly did you guys find?"

The others took their respective seats, Ever and Bixlow in arm chairs and Freed beside their leader, his own bundle of paper in his lap.

"We learnt that Ira is the most notorious member if the Infernos guild. We also learnt something we never knew before..." Freed paused, sharing a look with the others, "The guild, as we know, is a dark guild. However, while the majority of its members are low class mages, the ring leaders so to speak, are comprised of 7 specialised mages. Those mages are known as the Seven Sins. We don't know who their leader is, but we know who you've already met."

"The one we encountered outside Crocus was Luxuria. The witch used manipulation magic. She was the weakest of the seven. Going with the theme of it all, her name translates to Lust from old Fiorian." Ever shifted through her papers before placing one in front of Laxus on the coffee table, the faces of the two defeated mages staring up at him, "The second one you guys came across was Vanagloria, named after the sin of Envy. His magic was a very special type of illusion magic, one capable of manipulating memories and replacing them, going as far as to physically affect someone."

"The one that attacked Lucy was called Ira, the sin of Wrath. Judging by the attack, she uses explosion magic. Witness reports say they only saw Lucy getting pushed around, which means Ira has a dangerous type of magic that can't be seen or heard unless she chooses otherwise... which could pose some problems..." Freed carefully place some photos down beside the profiles they'd compiled. Each one was an image of a crime scene, wherever Ira had been. She had laid waste to everything and everyone. They all turned a little green at some of the pictures and Laxus started breathing heavily, his brain replacing those in the images with Lucy.

"That... that could have been Lucy... That- If I had just-" He stood, pushing the images off the table as he moved to the kitchen, grabbing the edge of the bench so tightly that the stone top creaked under the pressure.

"Laxus. It wasn't your fault. If anything... it was ours..." Evergreen whispered, hugging herself in shame, "And now..."

"Ever..." Laxus turned around, his face pale but his eyes firm, "We can't change what happened. No matter how much we want to. What we can do is go after the bitch that hurt Lucy and make her pay for what she did."

"I'm with the boss man on this one. And it's a good thing I have tabs on where the bitch could be too." There was a stiffness to Bixlows shoulders as he handed the papers around, "When do we go?"

 **xXx The First Sin xXx**

"Loke! I'm going, it's as simple as that!" The yell from within the room had Laxus paused, his travelling partner obviously agitated. Hearing her pulled at his heart, an uncomfortable weight settling in his gut as he revised his plan.

"Lucy! Please. You aren't well enough to move around yet." The faithful spirit pleaded.

"Gemini has done a fine job of healing me. There's only a few burns left. Now, I'm going and you can't stop me." The sound of fabric shuffling force Laxus to gather his courage and open the door, the site before him making him freeze.

Lucy was half out of bed, the hospital shift doing little to cover her while Loke hovered over his master, his hands ready to catch her should she fall.

"Laxus." She gasped, staggering upright. Loke's arms clamped around her waist, holding her steady, "What are you doing here?"

"I..." Her question struck him dumb and the sight of her wrapped in bandages had his stomach turning. The image of her broken and bleeding flashed before his eyes and he took a deep breath, readying himself for what he needed to do, "I came to tell you that the team and I are heading out, and I'm not sure when we'll be back."

Lucy blinked owlishly at him, "Okay... Great. I'll get my-"

"I mean we're going without you Lucy." His voice was harsher than he had wanted it to be, but the thought of her hurt made him see red. _'It's for her own good.'_ He thought, though he didn't buy the idea himself in the least.

"What? You can't be serious! The first time you guys went you all came back nearly dead and you drank yourself into a drunk stupor! I was the one that helped you defeat Luxuria and Vana! We-"

" _We_ nearly got killed too and both times you got severely hurt. You're-"

"Not strong enough? Is that it? Laxus you can't be serious. What we went th-"

"What we went through Lucy... was a mistake. I won't make the same one twice..." He turned to leave, ignoring the sharp inhale from the other two in the room.

"L-Laxus... what are you saying? You don't mean that. You're just worried. I can still help. With all of us-" She tried to persuade him, pulling out of Loke's grip.

"With all of us going, you'll just drag us down. The enemies are just going to get stronger. Luxuria caught us by surprise the first time. The others won't get the same opportunity." He growled when he heard footsteps approach and he opened the door, his jacket billowing out behind him, "I probably won't see you again after this... So take care of yourself Lucy..."

His only answer was a strangled sob and when he looked over his shoulder his vision was filled with the sight of a glowing fist before he was sent on a collision course for the opposite wall.

"You... You don't get the right to tell me that... that _bullshit_! After everything? Do you think I'm that naive? I know what you're trying to do!" Lucy glared at him from the doorway, the mark of Leo on her upper breast. She glowed faintly, her anger allowing her magic to seep out, "No right Laxus."

He pulled himself upright on the ground, floored by the hurt he saw in her eyes. His hand rubbed his sore cheek, feeling the lump already forming there. Lucy glared with everything she had before she sighed, the anger disappointing, leaving only sadness in its wake.

"Just... go then Laxus." Lucy turned and walked down the hallway, her Leo Stardress allowing her to roam freely to the checkout. And all Laxus could do was watch her walk away.

 **xXx The First Sin xXx**

 **And there is the next chapter! Again, sorry it took so long. I wanted Laxus to protect Lucy, but to do it in his typical, arrogant kind of way. Want to know what happens next, leave a review! Here's my Christmas present to all of you for all your support through the year and all the reviews you guys have left me.**

 **For those of you that did review the last chapter, thank you all so much! You guys helped me push through all the stresses of moving to get this chapter out! So a major shout out to the following people!**

Illustre

RosesMcKellar

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Kurahieiritr JIO


	12. Stronger than they Realised

**The First Sin**

 **Summary:** "I may not be strong. Definitely not as strong as some of the people I've had the chance to fight with. But I'll stay standing for as long as it takes to defeat you!" – Set during the Guilds disbandment. LaLu and other couples.

 **Authors note:** I'm sorry it took so long. But after moving I just needed to rest. And then work started up again and bang. No time for the wicked! But here it is! It took forever to find a progression that I liked for the story. And now it's here! Hope you like it!

 **Disclaimer:** I in no way own Fairy Tail! I do however own my own characters.

 **Arc:** Wrath

 **Previously:**

 _He pulled himself upright on the ground, floored by the hurt he saw in her eyes. His hand rubbed his sore cheek, feeling the lump already forming there. Lucy glared with everything she had before she sighed, the anger disappointing, leaving only sadness in its wake._

 _"Just... go then Laxus." Lucy turned and walked down the hallway, her Leo Stardress allowing her to roam freely to the checkout. And all Laxus could do was watch her walk away._

 **Chapter 12:** Stronger than they Realised

Lucy grumbled the whole way to the nurses' station, her heels giving people enough warning to make way for her lest they face her wrath.

"Dumb, _egotistical,_ obnoxious Dragon Slayer." Her fingers twisted in her dress.

"Um… Miss? Are you alright?" She stopped dead in the hallway, blinked when she realised she was at her destination. Lucy let out a small chuckled, nervously pushing her hair out of her face.

"Um, yes. Actually. The doctor said I could be discharged. I just need to sign out." Lucy gave the nurse her best smile, patiently waiting for the woman to find the right paperwork.

"That won't be an issue. Can I just get your name?"

"Heartfillia, Lucy."

The nurse pushed around some papers before offering a clipboard, "Please just sign on the dotted line and you're right to go." As Lucy went to sign her name she was shocked when the nurse suddenly grabbed her arm, forcing her to look up. The woman had a nervous air about her, eyes darting to look down the hallway Lucy had come down, "This was also dropped off for you after that man walked to your room. A woman left it, said it was important." The nurse slipped a bag onto the counter she took the clipboard away and quickly resumed her work, completely ignoring Lucy.

"Well… okay then." Without another word, the Celestial mage turned on her heel and left the hospital, silently calling to one of her spirits as she went.

"I'm sorry Miss Lucy! How can I help you?" Aries appeared in a cloud of smoke, her hands fiddling with the edge of her dress.

"No need to be sorry Aries. I just wanted someone to walk with me till I get somewhere safe. Unless you're busy, of course."

"N-No! Of Course not, sorry. I'd be more than happy to accompany you." With a smile the pinkette fell into step beside her master and together they traded small talk until Lucy found an inn with a vacancy, "If that is all Miss Lucy, I'll let Virgo know you need some clothes so that you can release you're stardress. Sorry."

Before Lucy could reply Aries had vanished and in her place was Virgo, with a fresh pile of clothes in hand, "Princess. Punishment?" The blonde could feel the sweat role down her cheek as she shook her head and took the offered clothing, allowing her magic to release.

"That won't be necessary. Thanks a lot Virgo. And pass on my thanks to Loke and Aries too please."

With a bow the maid spirit vanished and left the mage to her own devices. After a shower Lucy settled down on the bed and grabbed the bag the nurse had handed her. The weight was significant, and Lucy could only worry about it's contents. Carefully, feeling for any sign of magic, Lucy sighed when a Lacrima comm fell out, followed by a packet of paper. Her brow furrowed as she grabbed the comm in one hand and the pages in the other, eyes glancing at the note on the cover of the packet.

" _Lucy. Please watch the comm before you read these notes. I need you to understand what's going on."_

Curiosity getting the better of her, she lowered the pages and grabbed the comm in both hands before focusing a little bit of her magic into the crystal. With a flash of light, an image of Evergreen appeared.

' _Lucy… if you're watching this, then it means that Laxus has done something incredibly stupid and pigheaded. He's going after Ira and we're going to make sure he doesn't get himself killed. Listen… I know you probably don't care, but Bix, Freed and I… we're really sorry for the way we acted. Laxus explained everything. We've just been so worried about him. And you_ _ **are**_ _the one that convinced him to go hunting them again… but we owe you a big apology and an even bigger thank you for getting him home to us.'_

Lucy could feel herself already forgiving the lot of them, but when she heard _his_ voice she felt it all wash away to be replaced by anger.

' _Ever! Let's go!'_ Evergreen's image flickered before she glanced back at the lacrima comm.

' _Lucy. I have to go. But I'm leaving you a copy of the documents we managed to pull up on Ira. I just hope you get to us first. We're heading out to Oshibana. He said we'll find more clues there. I hope to Mavis that you find what he hasn't before we move out. Take care Lucy.'_

The blonde could only blink as the image vanished and she lowered the comm, "Stupid Laxus… fine. Let's figure this out then."

She rummaged around in her bag for her gale force glasses and settled at the desk in the corner of the room, the pages scattered around her. She leafed through them all, ignoring the images of Ira's victims by chucking them under the desk. Various reports had said people had only watched the victims being hit by silent attacks, attacks which she knew all too well.

Other's were of the locations each body had been found and Lucy stood up from her desk quickly before rushing out to the front desk. The clerk was shocked by her sudden appearance, her wide eyes meeting her own chocolate ones.

"Can I help you miss?" The clerk asked, tucking away the stray pages she had been writing in.

"Yes. Do you happen to sell maps of Fiore by any chance?" Lucy wrung her fingers together, feeling the weight of her limited money on her hip.

"Why… yes we do? Are you in need of a detailed one or…"

"A simple one will do as long as the landmarks are noted on them." Lucy felt her heart lift and quickly handed over some cash when the clerk offered her the map and she took off again to her room.

"Miss! This is too much! Miss!"

Her door slammed with a resounding bang and she opened the map and carefully spread it over a free section of the table. She grabbed a pen and quickly filled in her previous encounters. With Luxuria being in Hargeon and Vana being close to Oshibana.

"That means… Laxus has gone to see if the cave had any clues to the Infernos sibling's locations… but that doesn't make sense… that wasn't were Vana was based out of. He was only there because it was away from people… Which means the other siblings would be based in central hubs as well." She bit her lip and looked over the reports. Each victim had been found in a woodland area and it was then that she swallowed her concern and grabbed the photos from the ground.

The gruesome images made her gag, and she had to force herself not throw up as she looked over the pictures. It was obvious that the one that had captured them was affected by the scene of the crimes, consider that there were some that were incredibly blurry. But there was one that caught her attention and Lucy squinted at the photo. A wall was caught in the corner of the frame and something flickered through her mind, a memory. A spa day with both Fairy Tail and Blue Pegasus.

"That's it! All the attacks! They were around the Woodsea!" She snapped her fingers, calling forth Crux, "Grandpa Crux. I need you to get whatever information about the Woodsea and about the Infernos sibling Ira; Wrath of the Seven Sins."

"Not a problem Miss Lucy." And just like that he was asleep and all Lucy could do was wait and come up with a plan that she could fill in with whatever information Crux could give her. She just hoped she wasn't too late.

 **xXx The First Sin xXx**

She woke the next morning to Crux calling out to her. His voice was grave, and Lucy bolted upright, her hands flying to the note book she had been writing in before she'd fallen asleep.

"Miss Lucy. You were right. All the attacks happened in the forest nearby. However, Miss Ira excels at ranged combat. She knew where to find you because Sir Laxus is part of the Blue Pegasus Guild."

"Of course. That all makes sense. And with her type of magic, it wouldn't be hard to catch someone while they were out for a hike." An image of someone's mangled legs came to the forefront of her mind and she swallowed heavily, trying to force the nausea away, "Her attacks are quiet and have a high impact. The only people that have ranged attacks are Evergreen and Bixlow. Maybe Laxus… but even then he needs to have eyes on his target and allow his magic to charge up for his Raging Bolt..."

"Miss Lucy. I believe the reason you have been so successful against the Infernos siblings in credited to the versatile use of your magic. You have both the ability to utilise and to summon many different powers for most situations you come across. It is imperative you get to Ira before them. Or at the very least before she kills them." Crux stared at his master with determined eyes, "The rest is up to you Miss Lucy. I will be going back and letting the others know that they may be called at a moment's notice if they are needed. Their contracts at the moment are flexible."

"Crux. I can't ask that of them-"

"Tut, tut Miss Lucy. _We_ all love you. And we don't want to see you hurt again." And just like that he vanished.

"I love you guys too…" Lucy felt her keys warm beside her, glancing down at the notes she had compiled through the night while Crux had worked, "Now, time to sort this all out."

With renewed determination, Lucy changed into hiking gear comprised of boots, jeans and a thick jacket to ward of the early Winter chill. Virgo would collect her items and check her out of the inn while she made her way to Ira. She calculated in her head that she should have had at least a half day head start on the Thunder Legion, something she would utilise. Until it dawned on her that Laxus could lightning travel. And being driven by his stubborn attitude he could very easily leave the team behind in Oshibana.

"Damn it." She tore from the room as fast as her legs could carry her.

 **xXx The First Sin xXx**

She walked from the town and into the surrounding forest, her eyes scanning everything. Her nerves were on edge, senses on high alert. The phantom pain of Ira's attack still plagued her, as did anything that was magically healed. But she pushed on, leashing her anger and determination. Lucy followed the path they had taken when the guild had visited the spas and sighed when she saw the building. Her hand brushed against Horologium's key and realised she had wasted a vast majority of the morning trying to find the place. But it was her only starting point with any viable proof behind it.

Once she found the exact spot she called out Plue and the shivering spirit greeted her with a solemn call, his small eyes serious for the first time since she'd gotten him.

"Alright Plue. I'm not sure if you can… but think you could try smell Ira? I already gave you the scrap of clothing she'd touchced."

"Pun, pun!" The spirit cheered, pulling the scrap from around his neck and he bent down on all fours, sniffing the ground loudly before he jumped up, his hands pointed in the direction she needed to go.

"Alright. Great work Plue. Let's get going."

She thanked her lucky stars that Plue required little to no magic as they walked, an hour passing the other as they trekked through the woods. Her feet ached, and her chest was starting to hurt but she pushed on, only stopping when a faint fog started rolling through the trees.

"Plue… do you smell her?"

"Pun pun pun!" The spirit nodded at her, his body shaking so violently that Lucy took pity on the poor thing and sent him home.

"Good work Plue-"

Her words were drowned out by the sound of trees shattering, a deafening roar echoing through the forest before a wind knocked her down. Her fall was a blessing in disguise as she watched a large tree trunk sail over her and Lucy crawled to a patch of upturned earth, using it to shelter her.

"Lepr-!" Lucy winced as she heard Evergreen scream before the brunette went flying over her.

"Ever!" Bixlow tried to reach his teammate and Lucy could only watch as he was hit by multiple explosions that sent him into the ground, creating a small Bixlow shaped crater. She couldn't see Freed but a sudden raging bolt let her know that Laxus was nearby, which mean either the man was with his leader or had also been taken out along with the rest of his team.

"You're all so pathetic!" Ira's voice rang out, grating on the blondes' ears as she squinted through the fog. More trees exploded, the only sound being the wood splintering and breaking, colliding with other plants and tearing down whole sections of the Woodsea.

" _Damn it_ … Laxus. Where are you?" Lucy hesitated before she dashed to another fallen log, hoping the cover would hide her from Ira as long as possible. The red head was no where to be seen as the shadows danced along the forest floor. The sun was already well on it's way to setting and with what little light was left, it was hard to tell where anything or _anyone_ was.

It was only when a familiar cry of pain sang out and stray lightning sparked off close by that Lucy bolted, her hands flying to her keys as she ran. Magic pooled all around her as she took her place before Laxus, ignoring the way her gut twisted at the sight of him bloodied and broken.

"Gemini… lend me your strength. Gemini Stardress!" Sagittarius Stardress!" Lucy stood with back straight as she heaved her bow, magic completely taking over her form. Laxus panted from behind her, his breath wet as he grabbed her ankle with what little strength he had left.

"L-Lucy. No. Get back. Get away from her!" A blast of explosive magic struck the ground beside them and Ira laughed from her hiding place within the fog. The scattered rays of light cast shadows through the trees making Lucy squint even more. The blonde woman huffed, feeling her magic drain faster than she had anticipated as she muttered under her breath. The familiar magic calmed her, and any panic she had felt was washed away.

"You think you're strong Blondie? Really? **You're pathetic**! Just like the others. Accept defeat like the piece of shit you are!" Ira taunted her, sending out another volley of magic, a blast detonating just before them and Laxus braced, waiting for the next strike, only to watch as a barrier shimmered before them as it took the blow. A drop of liquid landed on his cheek and he could only choke on his breath when he realised the barrier was made of _water._

"I may not be strong. Definitely not as strong as some of the people I've had the honour to fight with. But… I'll stay standing for as long as it takes to defeat you!" Lucy's voice was strong, power resonating through her words as her shield rippled, it's glow diminishing with each strike it took, "I'm strong… because I have friends to guide me!"

Lucy's magic took physical form, swirling around her in a golden halo, causing the wind to whip across them. Attack after attack struck her barrier and the whole time Laxus could only watch the woman in awe as two small spirits appeared in front of him. They shimmered, transparent as they reached out to him, "Piri, Piri. Copy complete. Lighting Dragon Slayer magic ready Miss Lucy!"

Immediately, lightning started arching off her skin before dancing up her arm to her bow and arrow. A ball of light appeared at the tip of her arrow as she took aim, arms shaking from the strain she had put herself under.

"It's time you learnt not to mess with a wizard of Fairy Tail!" Lucy yelled, her magic coming to it's peak just as the barrier broke, showering them in glistening water. Her conviction was as true as her aim and her arrow struck home, the familiar boom of thunder their only sign that their target had indeed been struck, a Raging Bolt striking the ground in the distance.

And just like that, it was over.

 **xXx The First Sin xXx**

 **Happy New Year Everyone! I've struggled with this chapter, not sure how to connect the the fight scene I'd written out when I first started this fic (All the fights all drawn up in full), but I got it to work. It's fun filling in the blanks. I have to say, this was one of my favourite scenes yet. I feel Lucy always get pushed aside, her strength and powers brushed over in favour of those more flashy. Soooo, I figured it was time to show them what's what. And shove it in Laxus' face too!**

 **But in any case, let me know what you thought! And a major thank you to the following people for reviewing the last chapter!**

 _Xoxi_

LaluHeart777

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	13. Words that Divide

**The First Sin**

 **Summary:** "I may not be strong. Definitely not as strong as some of the people I've had the chance to fight with. But I'll stay standing for as long as it takes to defeat you!" – Set during the Guilds disbandment. LaLu and other couples.

 **Authors note:** So this chapter is a close off of the Wrath Arc as well as a semi-recap, only from Laxus' point of view. I figured it was about time to get an inside look at Laxus and how his mind works. Hopefully you think I did it justice! Let me know in a review if you enjoyed it and see if you can guess what the next arc will be on!

 **Disclaimer:** I in no way own Fairy Tail! I do however own my own characters.

 **Arc:** Wrath

 **Previously:**

" _It's time you learnt not to mess with a wizard of Fairy Tail!" Lucy yelled, her magic coming to its peak just as the barrier broke, showering them in glistening water. Her conviction was as true as her aim and her arrow struck home, the familiar boom of thunder their only sign that their target had indeed been struck, a Raging Bolt striking the ground in the distance._

 **Chapter 13:** Words that Divide

She stood, legs shaking and lungs burning, but she refused to fall. Breath rushed into her, filling her like a man starved, and even through the roar of blood in her ears she vaguely heard someone call her name being called and Lucy dared a glance over her shoulder.

The sight of the proud blonde had her cringing, and she forced her legs to move, turning her body to face the Slayer. A faint spark of his magic arched off her skin and she watched him inhale it, and she watched him inhale it, a pleased rumble echoing from his chest.

"There she is! Miss Heartfilia!" An unfamiliar voice called to her and she turned again as far as she dared, even her eyes stinging as she tried to focus on the figures fast approaching, "Miss Heartfilia, Miss Scarlet received your message. We've brought the medical assistance you requested."

The man that had called for her came to a stop, panting hard as he tried to catch his breath.

"Great!" Two mages are over by the fallen tree-"Lucy blinked, realising how vague her description actually was before pointing in the right direction, "You'll have to ask this guy where his other teammate is."

With a nod, the man following Erza's orders started giving directions to the medical team, making sure to start with getting Freed's location.

Lucy glanced back down at Laxus, stamping down the thoughts of pity and worry that flew to the forefront of her mind, "Here." She whispered, dropping the lightning lacrima on the ground in front of him before staggering off, trusting that he remembered how to use it. She waved off the medics that tried to rush her, gritting her teeth while her legs carried her, determination to get as far from the blonde man as possible fuelling her.

Night had fully set in before she had no choice but to give in to her bodies instinct to rest. Self-preservation driving her to her knees. She saw the heavy rain clouds over head and tried to crawl towards tree cover but her body started shutting down, her limbs heavy. But before sleep claimed her, she swore she heard someone call her name.

 **xXx The First Sin xXx**

His mood was dark as he took a seat on the train, settling the blonde woman in his arms carefully on the seat beside him, her head resting on his thigh. He remembered the pain he had seen in her eyes so clearly that it was like a knife to his heart every time he looked at her. And realising her determination to get away from him had driven her to an almost comatose state only made his mood worse.

Evergreen, Freed and Bixlow all took seats across from him, all staying quiet as the tension just thickened. None dared disturb the blonde man, not even in worry when his face paled as the train started moving.

Laxus did his bed to ignore the way Lucy laid perfectly still against him as his fingers carefully wove through her hair, teasing the knots loose from her silky strands. He knew he was brooding, while also putting his team in an awkward spot, but he couldn't shake off the dark cloud that clung to him. He'd been so awed when Lucy had jumped in front of him, he magic making her glow like an angel. _His_ angel.

He head dragged him through memories of the past few days, the horrible wait to hear if she'd be okay. His decision to leave her behind. It all played in his head like a broken record.

 _He stopped back through the hospital lobby, subtly sniffing to make sure Lucy had left the vicinity. Glad that she was gone, but also confused that he could smell Evergreen in the area, he gave the receptionist a curt nod before leaving the sterile environment. Her words haunted him, dragging his steps down the further he walked from the hospital._

 _The train ride to Oshibana had gone by in a blur of motion sickness and regret and he had to be told multiple times by Freed that he had to guide them to the cave. The whole trip had seemed bleak, his betrayal of the woman who had saved him weighing heavily on his shoulders._

" _Hey… Boss. You seem a little down? Are you okay?" Bixlow was the first that dared break the silence once the entered the cave, finding the remains of the camp he and Lucy had while they had rested._

" _Yeah. Come on. The chamber's through here." He followed the putrid smell he had come to associate with the Infernos siblings and squeezed through the crack, silently marvelling at the feat it took to get through, "How the hell did she get is both through this?"  
_

 _The others questioned him, but he refused to answer, his eyes glued to the spot where Lucy had knelt, trapped in the nightmare of Vana's magic. It made his blood boil and his lightning sparked, lighting the stray torches around the room in quick succession. But it didn't make him feel any better, if anything, the shadows made everything worse._

" _Well, doesn't this look promising." Evergreen deadpanned as she entered the chamber, brushing down her dress._

" _It is certainly seems… unpleasant." Freed pulled a face when he walked around the room, his mind imagining all the things Vana had done to people in the chamber. What he had done to Lucy and Laxus._

" _This place just feels_ _ **wrong.**_ _How the hell did you guys end up sleeping in the shit cave anyway?" Bixlow lifted a rock, looking for another entrance or a stashed box for them to go through._

" _We were both injured and exhausted. Lucy was mentally and magically drained. We had no choice." His reply was gruff as he overturned a chair, one that had been worn down and had suspicious brown stains on it. His nose scrunched at the smell of it._

 _They spent the next few hours looking through every possible hole and crack in the cave, finding only a few images stowed in the cavern Laxus had been trapped in._

" _Hey. These look like the crime scene photos from Ira's case. Except… they look a little difference." Evergreen peeked over Bixlow's shoulder and instantly felt ill._

" _That's so sick…" Ever went to turn away, holding a hand over her mouth as her stomach rebelled._

" _It looks like these were taken right after. How strange. There's a building there." They all looked at the image in Freed's hand, the green haired man._

" _Hey!" Ever snatched the image, placing a hand over the body in it, and glared at the paper, "I… I know where that is!"_

" _Where?" Laxus al but growled, glaring not at her, but at the image._

" _This is where Blue Pegasus has their spa! You see here?" Ever pointed to the corner of the building, where a sign was just barely visible, "It's the Blue Pegasus logo._

" _Then that's where we start." He ushered them all from the cave before sending a blast of lightning._

 _The rest of the day had gone in a blur._

If Laxus was honest with himself, he couldn't remember much of what happened other than having seen Lucy jump in front of him, and the sheer terror that had seized him when she had faced Ira head on, a woman the had single handily taken down his whole team without batting an eye.

Glancing down at the blonde woman he squeezed her shoulder, determination taking place of his guilt.

"I won't let you down Lucy. Not anymore…"

 **xXx The First Sin xXx**

 **Sorry. I know this took a while to get out. But it's here! I had fun writing from Laxus's point of view, the next chapter jumps straight back into the hunt for the Infernos siblings! So stay tuned!**

 **Thank you to the following people for reviewing the last chapter, you guys are the inspiration that drives my writing:**

dogsrcool5

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xoxi

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	14. Scars and Retribution

**The First Sin**

 **Summary:** "I may not be strong. Definitely not as strong as some of the people I've had the chance to fight with. But I'll stay standing for as long as it takes to defeat you!" – Set during the Guilds disbandment. LaLu and other couples.

 **Authors note:** So this chapter is a close off of the Wrath Arc as well as a semi-recap, only from Laxus' point of view. I figured it was about time to get an inside look at Laxus and how his mind works. Hopefully you think I did it justice! Let me know in a review if you enjoyed it and see if you can guess what the next arc will be on!

 **Disclaimer:** I in no way own Fairy Tail! I do however own my own characters.

 **Arc:** Wrath

 **Previously:**

 _If Laxus was honest with himself, he couldn't remember much of what happened other than having seen Lucy jump in front of him, and the sheer terror that had seized him when she had faced Ira head on, a woman the had single handily taken down his whole team without batting an eye._

 _Glancing down at the blonde woman he squeezed her shoulder, determination taking place of his guilt._

" _I won't let you down Lucy. Not anymore…"_

 **Chapter 14:** Scars and Retribution

His fingers trailed gently along her scare, the oversized shirt they had changed her into having ridden up while she slept. He pushed away the worry that gnawed at him, watching as she slept through another day. It had been two days since she saved them, one day since he and the others had been healed. Twelve hours since he'd been told there was nothing the healers could do to wake her.

"Laxus… You need to eat…" Evergreen popped her head in, brunette hair a mess and the skin around her eyes hollow. They had taken it upon themselves to take care of him, while his entire focus was on the unconscious blonde woman.

The Lighting Slayer just nodded numbly, not budging from his spot next to Lucy. He laid beside her, on top of the blankets, barely moving from the spot. It killed him inside seeing her in his bed, not because they had cemented the feelings they barely had the time to explore, but because she had saved not only him, but his team. Even after the things he'd said to her. Eyes pinched in self-inflicted pain, Laxus didn't notice when Ever entered the room, or when the others entered after her.

"Boss…" Bixlow spoke up, placing a hand on his leaders shoulder, "You can't do this… She wouldn't want to wake up and see you like this…" Even though he knew the truth in his words, even Bix had to wince at the look of pain across the older mans face, "We know you don't want to leave her, so we brought the food to you."

"Please Laxus. Eat something…" Freed laid a tray down on the bedside before picking up the glass of water, "I will take care of Miss Lucy in the meantime." Everyone prepared for a fight, tensing for the yelling match they had gone through the day before, but Laxus just sighed, grabbing a piece of bread off the tray, his eyes focused on the way Freed handled the unconscious mage.

The stress left the trio as they watched the blondes in the room, worry radiating from them all, but Ever was still dealing with it all, blaming herself for the initial attack Lucy had suffered at Ira's hand.

"Goodness Lucy. You really need to wake up now." Evergreen perched on the edge of the bed, grabbing a hairbrush before gently tugged out the knots from Lucy's hair, "There's a lot of people worried about you right now."

She was only answered by a hum, a good sign, but it still wasn't what they wanted.

"Ever?" Bix laid a gentle hand on the brunettes shoulder when he heard a sniff, "You can't keep doing this."

"But… If I had just kept my mouth shut… If I had just listened properly… S-she wou-" Ever let out a sob, but could only gasp when she was engulfed in a hug.

"Ever… It wasn't you. I should have done something. I should have gone after her. Should have thought my plan through better. I shouldn't have said what I did." Laxus' voice rumbled in his chest, calming the brunette.

"The only thing you can do now is move on and try make amends for what you did." Freed patted them both on the shoulder before excusing himself from the room, Bixlow following him out.

"Thank you Laxus. I'm s-"

"Stop it Ever. We've been over this." Laxus took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he moved back to his spot on the other side of the bed, sitting down right next to the blonde, "It's me… I'm the one that has to make it up to her. Even though I told her to stay out of it… She turned out to be the one that saved us. Despite it all."

"Yeah. You're right. Speaking of. She'll need fresh clothes when she wakes up. I'll run out and get some." Before he could stop her, to tell her that Lucy had a spirit that could do that, Ever was up and out of the room, brunette hair flying behind her.

"You're incredible Lucy. You light up people's lives without even realising it…" Laxus hummed, his hands cupping Lucy's face, caressing the skin that he had thought he would never be able to touch again.

 **xXx The First Sin xXx**

A day later, Ever had laid clothes out on the dresser for when Lucy woke, and Laxus had been convinced to leave to room, to at least bathe and get some fresh air. But what should have been a relaxing time out, away from the anxiety he got when he look at Lucy and worried whether she would wake up, when Master Bob got in touch with him.

Which led the hulking male, along with Freed and Bixlow, to the guild. They all braced for the scolding they were sure to receive, but were only welcome with hugs and tears.

"You children are going to sent me to an early grave, honestly." Master Bob chided, dragging the three into his office, "But as much as I worry about you lot, I know the Magic Council are the ones that set you up on this job… As much as I don't like it." Bob took a seat, ushering the others to do the same, "Which is why I asked you to come so quickly. The news about Ira has spread, the notorious killer disposed of. And while mages are told not to kill, we've found that they aren't… human. Or at least, from what we can see."

"What do you mean by that? They seem pretty human to me." Laxus huffed, crossing his arms over his chest as he waited.

"They _seem_ human enough. But their magic is unlike anything I have ever seen before. I contacted the council, asking for more information so that I could assist you in any way I can. Erza had no objections to my request." With a sigh, Master Bob pulled a box out from under his desk, placed in within easy reach of them all, "We aren't too sure what they are. The Rune Knights did some digging into the sites you've already pointed out to have encountered Luxuria and Vanagloria Infernos. The readings were… well. There were none. No magic traces aside from your and Miss Lucy's were picked up. Which leads me to believe that they aren't normal people."

Laxus nodded his head, closing his eyes as he thought, Freed taking over the debate with their Master, "And what exactly would you say they are? There are still four other Infernos Siblings out there, none any weaker than the other. If they aren't normal mages… How will we… I mean, _we_ didn't stand a chance against Luxuria. And then with Ira…" There was a hesitation in Freed's voice that was only answered by a chuckled, everyone turning to look at Bixlow as he smiled.

"It's obvious. Cheerleader isn't stuck like the rest of us. My magic has been useless against the siblings we've seen, same as yours Freed. Evergreen isn't exactly a powerhouse and her magic is limited. But Laxus as strength and power to stand behind. But it's Lucy… Lucy gave boss man the advantage he needed to take on all the siblings he;s faught so far. She has the ability to use different types of magic and boosters like when Wendy used to enchant her team in a battle." Bixlow nodded his head, eyes glued to Laxus as he watched the blonde man gape at him, blue eyes wide in shock.

"You're right… Luxuria… Lucy knew about the magic. Knew how to break the spell. Vana… she helped me overcome it all. Ira… She had the magic to multiply her own strength, had the chance to attack at a distance… It was all Lucy…"

They were about to continue, to figure out how they should approach the next sibling, when the Lacrima comm lit up, showing Evergreen in the crystal.

" _You guys need to get home right now. Lucy's awake!"_

The words had hardly left the Lacirma when Laxus was out of his seat and flying through the guild, not even noticing the people he balled over in his effort to get outside. Freed and Bixlow were hot on his heels, there hands barely grabbing his jacket when the Lightning Teleportation took hold, sending them through the air and home in a split second.

Barrelling through the door, ignoring the way Bixlow had to grab the wood from crushing Freed, Laxus was in his room without a moment to spare, his hair messy and eyes wild. But his panic rocketed when he noticed the empty bed, "Evergreen!"

His call was met with silence and he stalked from the room, listening for even the smallest sound. He registered the water in the bathroom going and he paced outside in the hallway, waiting with baited breath as the shower turned off and the sound of the two women talking reached him.

Muscles bunched, his eyes narrowed, watching as the door opened, showing a tired blonde leaning heavily on a struggling Evergreen. He took in the tired brown eyes of the woman he had grown so attached too and he stepped forward, his arms wrapping around her while gently pushing Evergreen out of the way. The brunette didn't complain, slipping away from the pair with a soft smile on her face.

Laxus couldn't decide what he wanted to do more; grovel at her feet or kiss her until she didn't know her own name. And while he was sure the latter would most certainly end with him getting a Lucy Kick to the face, he was willing to risk it. Without skipping a beat, he pushed her back slightly, enough to bend down as plant his lips on hers. She hummed in response, hands fisting in the fur of his jacket. Muscles already like jelly, Lucy let herself fall into him, his arm like a vice, holding her to him as though she breathed life into him with every kiss.

"Lucy…" He kissed her forehead, "Lucy…" Another kiss on either cheek, " _Mavis_ Lucy." A small peck on the nose, "I'm so sorry Lucy… I… Fuck I'm an idiot." He rested his forehead against hers, eyes boring into her as she giggled.

"Yes. Yes I think you are." Her voice was husky from disuse and he groaned, placing another kiss on her lips before sinking to the ground, pulling her with him until she was curled up in his lap. He scent was fresh, like strawberry's and flowers. It put him at ease, something akin to a purr leaving his throat as he pressed his face into her hair.

"H-how…" He cleared his throat, afraid to look at her incase this was a dream, "How did you find us out there."

"Before that, I hope you realise once I have my strength back I'm kicking your butt, right?" Her threat made him laugh, even as a thrill shot through him at her words, "As for how I found you guys… I started with Evergreen. She left me a copy of the reports you guys went through."

His eyes widened, breath catching as his memory shot back to the day in the hospital, at the familiar smell he had scented, "So she was there…"

"Anyway, I took to reading the reports, and had Crux do some digging for me. It wasn't hard from there. I had hoped I would have run into Ira or you guys first, _before_ the fight started, considering I knew you'd gone back to the cave where Vana had us. But, better late than never, right?"

Her blew him away and he instantly felt himself melting under her gaze, his heart skipping in his chest, "You're amazing Lucy." His inner dragon rumbled in contentment and Laxus settled his back against the wall of the hallway, holding her close.

"Not really." She tried to shake her head but her stopped her, placing another kiss atop her head.

The anger and the pain would have it's time to surface and to be sorted through. But the couple were just content to be with each other. Holding on to what they had.

 **xXx The First Sin xXx**

 **Sorry if this chapter seemed like a drag or rushed or something, it was like pulling teeth trying to write it out. So, I hope you enjoyed it in any case!**

 **Thank you to the following people for reviewing the last chapter:**

SailorTardis498  
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	15. Tempus Rerum Imperator

**The First Sin**

 **Summary:** "Bingo! One Point for the Celestial Princess!" Ace smirked, taking joy in the horror and shock on her face, "You're a special kind Miss Heartfillia. Why else would they keys choose you? Why have you seen the King? My keys are crying out for you too… But you can't have them! They're mine!"

 **Authors note:** This took a while. You know how life decides, hey, adulting? Yeah, well that happened. But now I'm back with this new chapter! The chapter title is Latin, because I felt it suited this arc and it means Time, Commander of all Things. It'll make sense once you get the the end of the arc! Let me know how you like it!

 **Disclaimer:** I in no way own Fairy Tail! I do however own my own characters.

 **Arc:** Sloth

 **Chapter 15:** Tempus Rerum Imperator

Lucy groaned, her stomach churning from the amount of smoothies Master Bob had forced her to consume, ' _The best way to recover is sugar. At least that's what I say!'_ He had doted on her the entire day while they spoke about their mission from the council. Going over details and facts, trying to find a way to deal with the last of the siblings.

"It's alright Lucy. We'll figure this out." Loke wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pressing her into his side despite the growl that echoed from behind them, "Oh shut up you stupid dragon. You have no right to say who comforts her. Especially after what _you_ did to her."

The words put an end to any discomfort Laxus had felt towards the closeness the Spirit had to his Lucy, replacing it instead with shame.

"It's alright Laxus." His head snapped up, coming face to face with the woman plaguing his thoughts, "I understand why you did it. While I don't agree with it, and that there was a better way to go about your plan… I get it. Nakama look out for each other. No matter what. There's a reason Master didn't take away our Marks." She held out her hand, the one with her pink guild mark, and urged him to take it. Her eyes endearing and Laxus couldn't hold back the smile that took over his face.

"You're amazing Lucy." Gently, he took her hand, cupping it on the inside of his arm as they took off down the street again, "I don't even think we would have gotten out of the battle with Ira if it wasn't for your fast thinking."

Loke beamed at his Master with pride, his heart swelling at the glow that surrounded her. She had not only stood up to a dark mage stronger than her, but she had thought on her feet so well that she had saved them all, "Not only that, I don't think you and Gemini have every worked so well together. The fact that you controlled Laxus' magic so well... He's not wrong Lucy."

"You guys… It wasn't much really. If it wasn't for the rest of you Loke I wouldn't have made it in time." Lucy sent him a dazzling smile and he swore that he had never seen a more radiant sight from the woman.

"I'm glad that you're happy again Lucy," Loke pressed a kiss to her forehead, only to freeze when he went to pull away. At first Laxus thought the ginger haired spirit was just messing with him, but when Lucy didn't react after a few seconds he tensed.

"Oi! Stupid cat, let her go." He went to place a hand on Loke's shoulder in a bid to separate spirit and master, but they didn't budge, and it was only then that he realised they weren't even breathing, "What the fuck?"

He looked around, noticing how everything around him seemed to be frozen in place, even the birds remained suspended mid-flight above him. Despite everything retaining it's vibrance, not even the heat of the sun seemed to touch his skin. A fact that had him on edge.

"Who's there?" His growl only caused the culprit to laugh, a cold, chilling sound that had him baring his teeth as he shifted away from the frozen pair, "You'll regret not showing yourself!"

Lightning arched off his skin, sparking and bouncing between him and nearby objects. But only silence greeted his threat and his growl deepened.

And just like that everything started moving again. Loke vanished in a shower of yellow sparks and Lucy staggered, favouring the side Laxus the side Laxus had released. Her mouth fell open, eyes wide as she caught sight of her partner ablaze in glowing lightning.

"Laxus? What's wrong?" The eerie glow to his eyes had her on her toes, hand reaching for him but not daring to touch him, "Laxus?"

His growl died out, his chest heaving for breath. Eyes wild he spun in his spot, trying to catch a glimpse of what had caused time to stop.

"Laxus…" Her words sounded rasped and his eyes snapped to hers, noticing the pale pallor her skin had taken, "Laxus… I don't feel so good…" Her breath stuttered, and her eyes rolled back in her head, his heart to skipping a beat. It was only instinct that allowed him to catch her before she hit the ground.

"Lucy? Lucy!" He shook her, patting her cheeks as gently as he could while giving her a little shake, "Lucy!"

 **xXx The First Sin xXx**

He paced the infirmary, Master Bob sitting calmly beside the unconscious Celestial mage, his worried eyes trained on Laxus' form.

"Really Laxus. Paving a new path into the floor isn't doing anyone any favours." His voice made Laxus pause, but the Dragon Slayer only let a second pass before he resumed his pacing, brows furrowed in worry.

"Laxus... Stop annoying Master Bob." Lucy groaned, her eyes cracking open. But before she could take in where she was her vision was filled with blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Lucy! Are you okay?" His hands fluttered over her, unsure whether she was hurt or not, "What happened?"

Lucy huffed, pressing against his shoulders so that she could sit up properly. Laxus pressed pillows behind her, allowing her the maximum amount of comfort that he could provide.

"Now Lucy. I know you're confused. But you had Laxus and I in quite a worrying situation." Master Bob patted her shoulder, causing the blonde to turn to him, "Now why don't you tell us what happened?"

Lucy frowned, brows pinching as she thought, "I don't really know. It was weird. One second, I heard Laxus telling us to, Loke and I, to let go of each other and then… then I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. The next thing I knew Laxus looked like he was about to attack someone. But I was so dizzy…"

Laxus crossed his arms, staring at his Guild Master for some kind of confirmation.

"Well," Master Bob started, clapping his hands together, "It seems like someone with some Dark Magic is involved. I wouldn't be too surprised if it was another Infernos Sibling. Obviously one that deals in a type of Time Magic. But by the sounds of it, it _seems like_ they can stop time, by locking the physical bodies in a certain area. But the mind is still active." A dark look crossed Master Bobs face, "Which means that even though your mind is still active, nothing else functions. It's likely the magic could leave a person to suffocate to death…"

Lucy tensed, eyes wide as she looked at the usually jovial Master her hands gently touching her throat, "Suffocate…"

Laxus growled, eyes narrowing as he stared the the blonde woman in the bed, "Fuck them. I'll find them. I won't let them-" He froze when he felt Lucy grab his hand, her eyes staring up at him in determination.

"You aren't doing it alone again. I won't let you. It's obvious they know I'm with you in this anyway, otherwise they wouldn't have targeted me to get to you." She nodded to herself before smiling, "We're in this together Laxus."

His heart skipped a beat at her word and he couldn't help but send her a little smile of his own, "Okay. Sure thing Lucy. Mavis knows that if I tried to keep you out of it that you'd just get yourself involved anyway."

Lucy sent him a dry look, her lips pursed before their attention was drawn to the infirmary door, "Lucy~! Are you okay?" Evergreens' voice echoed through the door and the brunette entered without waiting for a reply, "I got you some soup. I hope you don't mind. But you didn't look that good when Laxus brought you in. Bix let me know you were awake."

Laxus felt his eyebrows raise before a small wooden totem popped up from under the blankets, floating just in front of Lucy's face, not so subtling calling her by her nickname as it danced around her. By the time the two blondes processed what was going on, Ever had taken a seat on the bed and held the bowl out for Lucy to take.

"Um. Thank you Evergreen." A faint blush decorated the Celestial Mages' cheeks as she took the offered food, feeling her stomach cramp suddenly, "I didn't realise how hungry I was."

"It's understandable Lucy. Not only did you have a brush with death, but your magic was also drained with Loke being forced to leave this realm." Master Bob nodded at his explanation before standing, clapping his hands together, "Now that that's sorted, get some rest Lucy. Our guild is your home for as long as you need it."

Something warm bubbled in her chest and she smiled, waving as Master Bob left the room, "That's incredibly kind of him."

"He looks out for everyone. Besides, once you've been a Fairy, a small part of you is always a Fairy." Laxus shrugged, taking the seat that was now vacant, "Now eat. We need to figure this out before anything happens again."

The dark look that crossed his face had the women shivering, the air heavy with uncertainty.

 **xXx The First Sin xXx**

 **Thank you for reviewing the last chapter! I'm so sorry this took so long to get out. I've been slammed at work and had a tonne to do at home. I'm also a Historic reenactor and the past two month had major events in them, so that had me tied up. I've also joined a gym! (Look at me being healthy) That's also been tiring. But here's the newest chapter, the next one shouldn't take nearly as long to come out. Shout out to those that reviewed:**

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Srinivasan Kalidas


	16. Tempus Edux Rerum

**Summary:** "Bingo! One Point for the Celestial Princess!" Ace smirked, taking joy in the horror and shock on her face, "You're a special kind Miss Heartfillia. Why else would the keys choose you? Why have you seen the King? My keys are crying out for you too… But you can't have them! They're mine!"

 **Authors note:** Geez, this took a while. I'm sorry. But we're officially at about the halfway mark of the story! I didn't like the newest sibling as much as I thought I would, I think because he's a bridge to the next major part of the story where everything picks up. Something big gets unveiled too!

Also, the meaning behind this chapter's title is: Time, Devourer of all Things

 **Disclaime** r: I in no way own Fairy Tail! I do however own my own characters.

 **Arc** : Sloth

 **Chapter 16:** Tempus Edux Rerum

She wasn't sure she could take anymore shocks, after a week of suffocation, attacks and stress, but as she stared at the black keys in her hand, a finger absently trailing over the blue veins scattered along the shafts, her mind went into overdrive. A dark power radiated from them, near silent whispers calling and begging, asking her to summon forth the spirits attached to the keys. And her curiosity was nearly great enough that she almost gave in to the urge.

"Loke… why are you giving these to me?" Lucy whispered, refusing to take her eyes from her new spirits.

"Well… they're banned from our realm by the King. It's a very long story, one that Crux would be better at explaining to you than I would. But you've earned them." Loke shuffled no his feet, eyes straying to the dark keys in his master's hand.

"Earned them how?" Lucy wanted to put the keys down, to allow the darkness to leave her, but something told her that wasn't the right thing to do.

"You beat the Infernos siblings that held them. So, you've got claim to them." Loke turned his back to her, "But please, do not call them unless you absolutely have to."

"Loke. You aren't making any sense. Why did you even give them to her if they're dangerous!" Laxus growled low in his throat, reaching for the dark keys in his worry only to be zapped by dark lightning. Lucy jumped on her seat, feeling the metal warm in her palm while the blonde dragon slayer leap away, holding his hand aloft, the skin an angry red.

"The keys are protective, and they recognise Lucy as their Master. But…" Loke sighed, "I think it's something you should ask Crux. He has the whole story and I need to speak with the King. I'll see you soon."

And just like that, Loke vanished in a cloud of smoke, his displeasure at having given Lucy the keys still heavy in the air.

"Well… That was unexpected…" Lucy stood from her seat, trying to find an empty space in Laxus' apartment to call on her most knowledgeable spirit, "Gate of the Southern Cross, I open thee! Crux!"

Another cloud, this time of silver, appeared before her and the ever-tired Crux spoke, "Hello Miss Lucy. How can I help you today?"

Taking her seat again, Lucy held out her hand, showing the four dark keys in her possession, "Leo said you could tell me the story behind these keys… But he seemed really worried. Can you help us out?"

Crux stared at the keys in his Masters hand, eyes hard, "Of course I can Miss Lucy. However, it is not a happy tale. One I wish to never speak of again."

Laxus had to bite his tongue when he saw Lucy flinch, anger bubbling just under the surface. To have her trusted spirits burden her with something he considered dangerous was unsettling.

"Long ago, when we spirit were first… _created…_ eons before anyone was able to harness our powers, we lived in harmony. We were able to traverse between the spirit realm and Earthland freely, interacting with humans. Those powerful enough were worshipped and those were the Zodiac spirits. But there were those that were jealous of the honour the twelve… or at the time, the _thirteen,_ received. You see, these jealous spirits were of equal power to the zodiac spirits. We labelled them _The Black Zodiac."_ Crux paused, his eyes drooping as he spoke, "A vicious war broke out between the Black Zodiac spirits and the Golden Zodiac spirits and their followers. There were many loses, and only through the work of various high priests and priestesses along side the spirits you hold with you today, did we win."

Lucy had to suppress a shudder as she listened, the keys in her hand going cold. Laxus wrapped an arm around her shoulder, his own worries rising.

"I will need to look into the history some more, as it was lost during the creation of the barrier between our realm and yours. What I can say is that I beg you not to use the keys unless you absolutely must. They are vile keys that use their wielders for their own gain. Nothing good will come of using them." Crux spoke no more, worry making the wrinkles on his face deepen.

"Of course. I understand Crux. Thank you so much." And with that, Lucy sent him home, staring once more at the dark keys, "It's weird though. None of them were Celestial Mages… I wonder why they had keys…"

Laxus left her to ponder over the newest mystery regarding the Infernos siblings and pulled his communication lacrima from his pocket, stepping into his room for some privacy. He allowed a small spark of his magic to jump to the comm and waited for someone to answer. It wasn't long before the person he wanted appeared.

"Laxus? What's the matter? You never call." Master Bob looked flustered, his cheeks red and sweat beaded on his brow. But the blonde man could only raise a brow in response.

"I feel like I should be asking you if you're ok?" An odd sound echoed through the comm, "Is everything fine at the Guild?"

"Of course everything is just fine! Why would you thi-"Master Bob froze and Laxus waited, a cold chill racing down his spine when he realised the older man wasn't even blinking.

"Master Bob? Hey!" He didn't realise how loud he'd been until Lucy ran into the room, her face pale.

"Laxus. What happened?" Though she saw the reason for his distress when she caught sight of Master Bob in the lacrima, "Oh no. Not again."

"We need to go. Now!" Laxus raced from the room, scooping the blonde woman into his arms moments before his magic took hold, transporting them to the guild in seconds. Lucy thanked him as he lowered her to the ground, allowing her a moment to grab her key ring and place her newest spirits on it before facing the door, noticing the way it sat ajar. No noise could be heard coming from inside, an eerie silence replacing it that chilled them both to the bone.

"You ready Laxus? Your guild mates are in there." Lucy glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, noticing the way he flinched at her words but he covered it with a glare, as though he could see through the solid wood barring the way.

"Yeah. Let's go." With a great stride Laxus placed his hands on the doors and threw them open, the crack of wood on stone echoing loudly through the guild hall. Everyone sat where they had been when they were frozen, but Laxus let himself relax slightly when he noticed that their chests were moving ever so slightly.

"My my. The prodigal son appears. Whatever shall I do?" The voice sounded from above them and the pair looked up in time to dodge, narrowly avoiding the dark haired man that had leapt at them. Lucy had a key in her hand the moment she corrected herself and lightning danced around Laxus, both of them ready for anything, "Dear-y me. How do you all have so much energy? It's so exhausting."

Their attacker patted out his jacket, the white and black material shifting in the light. The way he lazily looked over them, as though he were bored, bothered Laxus a great deal and his resounding growl proving his unease, his lightning sparkling brighter in response.

"Who are you?" Lucy was firm, two gold keys held in her hand as she waited. Laxus slowly skirted their attacker, never taking his eyes off the man, even as he placed himself in front of the blonde woman.

"You know, from everything I've heard about you, you're dumber than I thought you'd be." Laxus growled, rage boiling to the surface as he felt Lucy freeze behind him, her very breath vanishing from his back, "I am Acedia Infernos. The fourth Infernos sibling. In saying that, I'd like my younger siblings back."

Her eyebrows shot together, lips pulled in a frown as she felt a pulse from the keyring on her hip, "Your siblings? Your siblings are gone Acedia."

He only barked a laugh at her, his eyes narrowing, "You're so dense. I'm sure the golden spirits told you about the black zodiac. We are the children of _sin!_ I mean, I would have thought it easy once they told you. I mean really? Who has a name like mine anymore? Or my siblings. Luxuria? Vana, really?" Ace laughed, back arching with the force of the sound, " _Vanagloria_! Who would honestly name their child that anymore?"

The blonde man stood rigid, glued to his spot as he tried to process what was going on. The only think he could be sure of was that a something bad was about to happen, and with the rest of the guild frozen around them he wasn't happy with their odds of getting out of the confrontation unscathed.

But while he waited, Lucy gasped, her head bumping into Laxus' back, recalling what Crux had said to her, _'They are vile keys that use their wielders for their own gain.'_ She couldn't move, a sharp clarity striking her.

"Ancient Fiorian... It makes sense now. Luxuria, whose power only worked on men. Lust personified through the Serpent, through Cancer... Vanagloria, Envy, Vessel of the Basilisk and the Leviathan. Ira, Wrath. The Maelstrom. The forbidden keys allowed them to become living embodiment of Sin." Everything clicked into place in her mind, every little clue and sign that she had missed. The keys pulsed once more against her hip, the darkness stinging and burning.

"Ding, ding, ding! One Point for the Celestial Princess!" Ace smirked, taking joy in the horror and shock on their faces, "You're a special kind Miss Heartfillia. Why else did the keys choose you? Why have you been one of the select few to see the Spirit King? My keys are crying out for you..." Ace disappeared suddenly from his and Lucy screamed when a hand suddenly twisted in her hair. She was yanked away from Laxus so quickly that her world spun and before she knew it, she was dangling over the edge of the upper balcony, warm breath tickling her neck, "But you can't have them. They're mine!" Lucy cried as he shook her, a small trail of blood dripping from her scalp as she tried to pry his hand out of her hair.

"Lucy! Damn it!" Laxus struggled, his magic crackling under his skin, "Let her go!" Time magic clamped around him, holding him to his spot.

Ace just sneered at him, eyes shining with mischief, "Let her go? He leant over, looking between Lucy and the ground beneath them, "Let's see... Do I let you go Miss Heartifllia? I think I will."

And just like that, he let her go. Lucy screamed as she felt his fingers slip through her hair, and Laxus could only curse, his stomach churning as he couldn't even look away. Images flickered through his head, of Lucy on the ground, red splattered everywhere and her body broken beyond repair. But it was then that she stopped mid-air, the breath literally frozen in her lung, hand closed on her keys.

"I can show you every possible way this situation can end, " Ace sat down on one of the tables, reclining as he stared Laxus in the eyes, "I could make you watch her die, over and over again. Tick, tock, goes the clock, Dragon boy."

Time suddenly moved again and Laxus couldn't do anything but dive forward as the spell released them.

"Wool bomb!" Bright pink wool cocooned him, muffling Lucy's screams.

"Regulus Impact!"

Ace's scream was barely heard as the Dragon Slayer battled against the wool, about the fry the material when Aries popped up in front of him, manipulating her magic to create an opening for him.

"I-I'm sorry Mister Laxus. M-Miss Lucy is just here." Aries quickly moved out of the way as the remaining barrier between the pair was removed and he dove the second he saw her prone figure on the ground. He pulled her into his lap, fingers hovering just over her face, the sight of her blood making him see red.

He growled, standing amongst the pink wool. He gently settled Lucy against Aries, the spirit cradling her master while Loke did his best to keep Ace busy, but time was literally not on their side and his magic was barely held back in his rage.

"You piece of shit!" Laxus took to the air, lighting crackling around him, "Lightning Dragons Roar!"

"Do you real-" Ace was cut short as the attack struck, tearing through the man and through the back of the guild. Only once he was satisfied that he wouldn't stand again, did Laxus draw back his power, leaving him panting. His rage had fuelled him, a burn so strong her felt the slight burns around his mouth from the force of his attack. And just like that, time shifted, as though everyone rest themselves.

"Laxus!"

"Are you alright Laxus?"

"Man! What happened?"

The lighting slayer only growled, sending a glare over his shoulder to his team before he prowled back to the injured Celestial Mage. He gently lifted her into his arms, cradling her against him.

"Laxus..." The whisper drew his attention and he looked up towards Loke, with a cowering Aries standing behind him. Wordlessly, Loke placed two black keys in Lucy's lap, making sure they were secure before he moved away, eyes full of concern.

"Thank you." Despite how gruff his voice was, they knew he was sincere, "If it wasn't for the both of you..."

He left the sentence there, the images still too fresh in his mind but Loke just nodded grimly, "I know that we said she shouldn't use the keys. But there's too much we don't know… I think the Serpent should be able to help her. She'll know which key it is."

Laxus just nodded, staring at the blonde resting in his arms, her brows creased in pain. Despite her being alive and well, there was still too much blood on her, as though she had truly lived and died minutes before. Just thinking about it made his magic hum, only this time there was no one to direct his rage at.

 **The First Sin**

 **So I know this took ages, and I'm sorry if it seemed rushed or confusing but the next chapter lays it all out for you. I'll explain it all I promise! Now, the Black Zodiac is a thing in reality, so I can't take credit for it. But how they are used is my twist and I'm proud of it! Anyway, the Black Zodiac is a twin, a parallel if you will to Western Zodiacs. As you can image, it's quite twisted, as Babylonians were in their thinking and it worked perfectly. So everything for this story is falling into place.**

 **A major thank you to the following people for reviewing the last chapter and I hope you enjoyed this one!**

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PinkSangria


	17. The First Gate

**Summary:** Warmth blossomed over Lucy's hand and a faint echo of metal bouncing across marble reached her ears. She didn't feel the panic she expected when she saw the blade disappear into Ava's stomach, but she knew the guilt wouldn't come either.

 **Authors note:** I feel like a broken record apologising for late updates. But I needed to get the story ideas in line. Everything is going to be pretty fast paced and I wanted to make sure I get everything done right. When I finish this story, I think I might post up my notes so you guys can get an idea of how I worked through it all, mainly about the Zodiacs that are going to be appearing from here on out.

 **Disclaime** r: I in no way own Fairy Tail! I do however own my own characters. Or the origin of the Black Zodiac though the names and descriptions used in this story are of my creation and interpretation.

 **Arc** : Greed

 **Chapter 17:** The First Gate

Her heart was in her throat as she stared at the key in her hand, the familiar symbol of Cancer glinting back at her in the light of the setting sun. The forest surrounding the Blue Pegasus Guild was silent, no animals lurked in the bushes and not even a breeze rustled the trees. It was amongst the silence that Laxus, Bob, Evergreen, Freed and Bixlow watched on, anxious as they waited for Lucy to act.

The blonde Celestial Mage gripped the key in hand, her magic snapping and cracking in the air around her, eyes glowing gold before she threw out her hand, key point towards the ground, "I call upon the Black Gate of the Prophet! Open! Propheta!"

In a shower of black glitter and smoke, a small figure appeared before Lucy, a grey cloak hiding the figure from sight. Everyone was still as the small figure hunched, as though lowering themselves before their master.

"Ello' Mistress. I must thank you for liberating me from my previous master." The spirit spoke, shocking them all with the soft, lilting tone in which she spoke.

"Propheta… right?" Lucy spoke softly, crouching down in an attempt to see into the hood of the young spirits cloak, "I'm Lucy. You don't need to call me Mistress."

Propheta shook her head, something green slipping out from the shadow of her cloak and she squeaked but did nothing to hide it from view. Lucy took that as her invitation and reached forward, her fingers brushing the green strand aside only to gasp, flinching away and making her newest spirit cower.

"Forgive me Mistress! You should not touch Propheta for Propheta is not worthy." The spirit lowered completely to the ground, her cloak spreading around her like a puddle.

"No. Propheta. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. Please sit up." Lucy sat in front of the spirit, now obviously a young girl. The Spirit obeyed her master and sat up, unable to do anything as Lucy gently push the hood from her head. Those watching could only gasp as the spirit was revealed.

Propheta could only close her eyes, the wind returning to the forest and making her cringe. What should have been hair was actually seaweed on her head, half of it held back from her face by numerous barnacles that rested there. They took up one side of her head and disappeared down her neck, and Lucy, being as gentle as she could, unclasped the cloak, only to blink back tears at the sight. The poor spirit looked away, ashamed at her failure being brought to light. But rather than being cast aside, she found herself shocked as Lucy wrapped her arms around her, cradling her as a mother would her own child.

"Mistress. What-" Propheta could only allow her newest Master to cry, "I don't understand."

Lucy pulled way, wiping her tears as she did so, "You've been hurt so badly… and I can feel how you hate the way you are. It's just… so sad…" Lucy sniffled, glancing at the only claw the spirit had, "I can feel the pain… I'm sorry you had to go through the war Propheta. I really am."

At a loss for word, the young spirit didn't even realise she had shed a tear until Lucy wiped it away, unconcerned about the rough barnacles her hand passed over. Her shock was written all over her face and Laxus chuckled, approaching the pair at a subdued pace.

"You'd better get used to this squirt. Lucy isn't your typical mage. You can ask her other Spirits about that." Laxus stopped before the pair, sinking his hand into Propheta's 'hair' _,_ and gave her an affectionate pat.

"I… I don't…" The Spirit took a breath, her lips twisting in what they assumed was a smile.

"A thank you would suffice. And I'm sure we'll work on that smile of yours." Lucy laughed, sharing a look with Laxus as he helped her stand before he lifted Propheta up from the ground, careful of the claw that looked wickedly sharp. Her tattered white dress blew in the wind and he stepped back to let the females get on with the true purpose of the black gates' opening.

"Thank you Mistress." Propheta bowed her head before she glanced up sharply, eyes serious, "You wish to know more of the Black Zodiac." It was a statement that, while true, blew Lucy away with the sudden nature of her words.

"Well yes. And I wanted to know about the Infernos siblings. Or more exactly… _what_ they are." Lucy shuddered, a cold breeze blowing past her. Propheta raised her claw, opening it as she spoke.

"All knowledge comes with a price, Mistress. You must place your arm in mine and accept that the payment will be your blood. The more knowledge I provide, the more I require. You must make the call on your own when you have received what you desire from me." Propheta closed her eyes and waited while Lucy shared a nervous smile with Laxus and those that waited behind her.

"Lucy… Be careful. Please." His plea caused the blonde woman to smile, giving him a small nod before she put her bare arm in between Propheta's claw, taking a fortifying breath before she spoke.

"I'm ready." Upon finishing affirmation, Propheta's claw clamped down on her arm, drawing blood instantly and a pained yelp from her Master.

"Payment has been made. What is my Master's first desire for knowledge?" The young girl spoke with an eerie echo in her voice, awaiting instructions with a far off look on her face.

"My first request is… What are the Infernos Siblings?" Lucy winced, the constant pressure on her arm keeping her focused. She knew that Laxus and the others were listening, so she could allow herself to be distracted by the pain.

"Infernos siblings. Name derived from Old Fiorian of Infernus. Definition: Hell. Each sibling is not related by blood, but by their merge with the keys of the Black Zodiac. They are created from living humans and merged by their Master. They are altered by their keys, those once known are now unknown and their only salvation is death… They are sins incarnate and will stop at nothing to appease their master."

Lucy gasped, accidentally tugging her arm and chocking back a cry of pain.

"Do you have another request for Knowledge Master?" Propheta spoke again, her voice strained.

"I do. My second request for knowledge is… Who is the Master that merged them? Who was strong enough to do it?" Lucy waited and she only had a split second to brace herself as Propheta's claw cut deeper, drawing more blood from her arm.

"Their master is Zeref. His magic knows no bounds." The young spirit seemed to cringe as Lucy let a few tears drop, the blonde mage combating her pain as best she could, "Do you have another request for knowledge?"

Noise buzzed around her and Lucy could barely make out Laxus trying to tell her to stop, but she swallowed, taking a deep breath before facing down her spirit

"I have another request." Already Lucy could feel the claw preparing to clamp down harder, her arm burning with pain as she spoke, "The Zodiac Wars. Tell me your side of the story."

Lucy screamed as Propheta hit bone, her knees buckling under her. She clung to consciousness, panting and sweating as the Spirit started speaking.

"We lived together with humans and alongside the Golden Zodiac. Those of the Black Zodiac were jealous, pushed aside for those that were positive symbols of the zodiac, that had no negatives to their powers. People feared the ability of strength that required a price. We were hunted, supported only by a small group of followers. But while the people considered us evil, they didn't realise that they themselves were evil. More sinister than even we were for our required payment. Our payments had taken lives, they had wounded and torn families apart. But they didn't understand that we only acted on the will of those that gave payment." She paused, as if she too were reliving the events of thousands of years ago, "We were hunted by our Golden Partners, tortured by the humans, we were mutilated, scarred and then banned from our own realm. By some power or will, we survived for millennia in this world, our power draining, driving some insane when they found and used us, abusing our lack of control on our powers. Some Spirits were warped and twisted, seeking revenge in any way they could. When the Spirit King finally tracked us down, we were taken to the Spirit Realm, a realm that once acted as our home had become a poison to us. Every moment was pain and the combined strength of the King and the Twelve Zodiac Spirits sealed us to our keys before scattering us across Earthland until we were once again found by the Dark Mage Zeref. Our most recent memories are of the merge, the ritual that fused us with our now deceased hosts…" Propheta paused, taking a breath before she spoke again, grief coating her words, "Do you have another request for knowledge?

Lucy winced, the screams of those behind her telling her how worried they were, but it seemed as though none of them could get close. Against her better judgement, Lucy nodded, a cold sweat coating her face as she prepared herself from what she knew was to come.

"I do. Propheta… tell me what happened to you." Lucy waited, expected the claws to close completely and severe her arm from her body, only for her Spirit to completely release her and collapse to her knees, resting her forehead on Lucy's.

"Why would you want to know that Mistress?" Tears fell and the two couldn't tell who it was that cried more, "I will not accept payment for my knowledge. But I acknowledge your request. Let it be heard."

Lucy nodded, her body burning and her arm freely bleeding, "Thank… you."

"When I was captured by the King, Cancer of the Golden Zodiac dealt out my punishment. The punishment was my arm, their reasoning was that I would take less payment. As a result, my magic twisted, turning me… into what I am today. A monster of the sea, a Seer of misfortune and knowledge, Seeress of the Black Zodiac."

Lucy cried, feeling the pain Propheta had felt as if it was her own. It made sense to her that she had had to offer her arm for the payment to be taken, as though the Spirit was wanted to project what she had been through. No words described what she felt, nothing explained the burn that spread from her arm to the rest of her body. She shuddered to think what losing her arm actually felt like.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry you went through that. I truly am." The Celestial Mage wrapped her good arm around her spirit and pulled her to her properly, cradling her to her chest like a child, "I promise, I'll do what I can to make it right. I'll do everything I can…"

"Lucy!" Laxus bolted forward, the force holding him back from her disappearing and Propheta became transparent.

"My time here has come to an end for now Mistress. I will be waiting for your call should you need me again, though I regret the payment will be the same." With remorse, the young spirit vanished and without her weight, Lucy fell backwards, straight into Laxus' chest.

He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly while Master Bob and the rest of the Thunder Legion surrounded them. Freed grabbed her wounded arm, drawing a scream from the blonde woman from the movement.

"Forgive me Lucy. But we need to stop the bleeding." Together with Master Bob, they coated her arm in a thick coating of green ooze before wrapping it in gauze, applying enough pressure to stop the severe bleeding.

"What were you thinking Lucy? You could have lost your arm!" Laxus felt panic claw at him, his inner dragon tearing at him to get her away, to protect her from her pain and it took all of his self-control to stop himself from lashing out at those around him and Lucy.

"I need… I needed to know… I needed to find out…" Lucy gasped, her body shutting down under the pain and stress she had put it under, "I have no regrets. W-we finally have some… some answers."

Under the duress she had been subjected to, Lucy finally slumped against Laxus, her body sagging as she fell unconscious.

"Damn it all Lucy." Laxus grunted as he fixed his hold on her, allowing them to finish wrapping her arm. He met Master Bob's gaze and could only frown at the serious look on his face.

"We're up against something serious Laxus. And I don't like it one bit…"

 **xXx The First Sin xXx**

 **I just have to say, I absolutely love Propheta's character. I will likely delve into her character and the characters of the other Black Zodiacs as chapters go by. Now, while I have the chance, I don't think this story will exceed twenty-five chapters, serious chapters anyway. I might make a few extra's but only expect maybe another seven or so chapters! So please, I will try get my updates out on at least month if not more frequently, I promise I'm trying really hard to get this all out to you guys. All the names are derived from Latin as well, so if you wanted to know how I came up with them, there you go!**

 **In saying that, that you guys so much for reviewing the last chapter:**

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Srinivasan Kalidas  
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PinkSangria


	18. Macabre Invitation Part 1

**Summary:** Warmth blossomed over Lucy's hand and a faint echo of metal bouncing across marble reached her ears. She didn't feel the panic she expected when she saw the blade disappear into Ava's stomach, but she knew the guilt wouldn't come either.

 **Authors note:** Happy New Year everyone! Welcome to part two of the newest arc! This is a lead up to the next chapter where the real action happens and Lucy really takes up the mantle everyone has put her on! Keep reading, because the plots about to get thicker, questions will get their answers and things will finally start coming together!

 **Disclaime** r: I in no way own Fairy Tail! I do however own my own characters. Or the origin of the Black Zodiac though the names and descriptions used in this story are of my creation and interpretation.

 **Arc** : Greed

 **Chapter 18:** Macabre Invitation Part 1

Laxus paced the floor, eyes never straying from the ginger haired spirit that sat at his master's side. It had been a number of days since Lucy had summoned Propheta, the Black Zodiac of Cancer and she was still recovering her magic from the incident, as well as tending to her arm the whole while. He had refused to show up of his own free will so the pair had waited until she had regained enough of her magic to handled opening his gate.

"You'd better start talking Loke." The growl was deeper than Lucy had ever heard it, and the blonde Dragon Slayer only moved closer to her bed when the Spirit hesitated, "It isn't up for debate Leo. We need answers, you can give them to us."

Lucy remained silent, her eyes downcast, fingers tightening in her blanket. Since her encounter with Propheta, she had been quiet, smiling only a handful of times and sleeping whenever she wasn't needed. She didn't have the strength to fight anyone, let alone her most loyal spirit.

"I don't know what you want me to say Laxus. I really don't." Loke brushed a hand through his hair, glancing between both blonde before sighing, "I know the Black Zodiac… _Propheta,_ said Cancer was the one that took her arm… but I can't validate the fact, or disprove it either. I…" His brows furrowed, "I really don't remember."

Rather than responding with rage, Laxus just cast the spirit an incredulous look before taking a seat beside Lucy on the bed, his arm going around her shoulders in a show of comfort, "You were the one that told us about them. You were the one that had Cruz tell us about the war. So-"

" _I don't know_!" Loke stood, his hands fisted at his side, "The story Cruz told you is there because he recorded it. He wasn't allowed to tell us anything and all the Zodiac spirits, the Golden Zodiac spirits only remember snippets of it. But we know… we thought we knew what happened…"

"So you accused them without cause Loke?" Lucy spoke, her voice grave and quiet, a deadly whisper emphasised only by her withering glare, "You said they wanted a price? And yet Propheta did everything she could to hold back. She was just a little girl that was tortured! For what?" Her words were punctuated with a savage cough, her injured arm curling up to her chest.

"Princess…" Loke knelt at her bedside, his earlier frustration lost as he gazed up at her pained expression, "We need to see the King. He can fix this." He jumped upright, his magic already gathering around him.

"What-" Laxus didn't get a chance to continue as the Spirit disappeared, only to be replaced by Virgo.

"I am here to give you clothing to ease your visit to the Spirit World Princess, Master Laxus." Virgo unfurled the bundle in her arms, the flowing white and yellow fabric fluttering silently to the ground, "If you could please dress in these Master Laxus, I will assist the Princess."

It was only with a grunt and one final look at Lucy that the blonde man left the room, clothes in hand. But the Spirit was hesitant to approach her Master, her hands even shaking ever so slightly.

"Virgo… are you alright?" Lucy shifted to the edge of the bed, cradling her arm to her so it didn't tangle in the sheets. Her mouth pulled in a grimace as she stood, her legs unfamiliar with the movement, waiting for Virgo to help her dress out of her nightgown.

"I… Princess…" The only sign of her distress was the single tear that slipped down her cheek and Lucy felt her heart tug, unable to do anything as Virgo started dressing her. White slipped over her like water, the halter tied with a yellow ribbon and buttoned down the back with equally bright stars holding the fabric closed from neck to waist. It billowed around her, fading from white to a deep burnished yellow. A colour pattern she recognised the compliment Laxus. Her hair was braided, tied off with a glittering band of stars. Despite the loose fit of the clothing it still complimented her figure whenever she moved, hugging her curves like an intimate embrace.

"Wow…" No longer was there an angry huff in his voice and Lucy spun, a faint blush colouring her sickly skin, "Lucy… You look amazing." He stepped towards her, hand lifted reverently to brush a stray lock of hair out of her eyes.

"You're one to talk. The colour suits you." Out of his standard dark dress shirt and trousers, he had dressed in a white suit jacket, buttoned with yellow stars in place of buttons, like her dress, and yellow pants, each article of clothing accentuating his muscular physic. A playful light glittered in his eyes and he placed a protective arm around her waist before turning to Virgo, waiting for the Spirit to guide them through the gate.

"Very well then." Virgo bowed before taking their hands, pulling them quickly into the Spirit Realm with her and they blinked through the light, the faint sound of bells reaching the blonde pair before they regained their sight.

"Well… no wonder you guys liked it here. Sure beats a lot of places to go sight seeing around Fiore, that's for sure." Laxus let out an appreciative whistle, eyes taking in the stars surrounding them on their platform of cloud.

"This way please." Lucy followed the familiar path, hearing the rushing water before they saw it. The great platform was occupied by spirits familiar and some new, and it was with growing distress that Lucy noticed Propheta in the centre, on her knees and head bowed.

"Propheta!" She tore away from Laxus, bare feet slamming against the ground before she skidded to a stop by her newest spirit, both arms, despite the pain, wrapping around the young spirit, "What is she doing here?"

The Spirit King watched while the other Spirits whispered, a mix of disgust, awe and shock, all of which were ignored by the Celestial mage kneeling by her newest spirit.

"Old Friend, Lucy… I have invited you and yours to this realm to discuss something that no mortal ears have heard in many millennia." The Spirit King seemed to sink, coming level with where Lucy knelt, his face filling her vision, "There are many sins that must be atoned, by all parties, and it is you, Old Friend, that will bride the great breech between spirits."

Lucy blinked up at the King, taking in the grim frown on his usually cheery face and she glanced at Propheta, "So what is she doing here? I though she was banned? That _you_ had banned her entry to this realm."

The Spirit King sighed, leaning away from the blonde woman as though she could rip his head off with thought alone, "We are atoning for our sins. It will not be instantaneous, and we must first learn that they can be trusted. But we saw your actions when dealing with the Black Zodiac of Cancer, we saw your compassion as all encompassing, and you refused to cast judgement… Even when she nearly cut off your arm. You stuck by her and she strained against her calling to ensure you were kept whole. She has acted as a true spirit of the realm and as such, we have allowed her sanctuary, bestowing her with a house of her own, a mirror to the Golden Zodiac of Cancer."

"Your making them two sides of the same coin?" Lucy glanced at Laxus, but noticed that he wasn't looking at the King, but rather a temple in the distance, one that had a dark extension unlike those surrounding it.

"She is officially recognised as the missing half of Cancer, as such, with Cancer's permission, we have allowed that to reflect in this realm. Propheta will be cared for, and with time, her arm will regenerate, with Cancer's help." Leo stepped forward, his glasses missing and his suit wrinkled, as though he'd gotten into a scuffle prior to their arrival.

"It is up to you Lucy, to help the other Black Zodiac's prove their worth of this realm…" Capricorn stepped up to Leo's side, his eyes widening when she shot him a glare so fierce that it was almost like a physical blow.

"Why do they need to prove anything? You're all cut from the same cloth. So what happened?" Her words cut deep, drawing a sigh from the King and the world around them shifted.

The stars disappeared, replaced with a sky the colour of blood. Phantom images raced passed the two blondes, Propheta no longer with them, could only stare in horrified silence at the destruction around them. Buildings burned, people were slaughtered as two sides of battle collided. Those in white and black merged like a wave, crashing and breaking, scattering people from partners and reinforcements.

"This, Old Friend is out story. We invite you to gaze upon our history and learn the truth. The truth about the Zodiac war…"

 **xXx The First Sin xXx**

 **Wanted this out sooner but work kind of got in the way, plus the holidays. So… Happy New Year everyone (Is it too late to say that now? Oh well.) Like I said, the story is going to evolve from here, picking up a faster pace, but I wanted to cover some background for the Zodiacs, and if you want, I can do a little side story once this fic is finished (also a synopsis of each Black Zodiac for the story), so let me know in the reviews what you'd like. Next chapter takes us into the thick of the war and what happened to make the Spirits turn on each other!**

 **Big shout out to the following people for reviewing last chapter and for all your understanding of the time it takes between updates:**

Sea Dragonslayer  
Desna

Clover cat Klee

 _Guest_  
Mistress Katana

Helenezahl  
LovelyLovelyLove  
Tiernank  
Veraozoa


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